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Home Arts 



FOR 



OLD ^NJD YOUN^a. 



BY 



MRS. CAROLINE L. SMITH. 

(.ACr^T CARRIE.) 



IXiL-CrSTHA-TED. 

f£ • 1873 -,<J? 



BOSTON: . 
LEE AND SHEPARD, PUBLISHERS 

NEW YORK; 

LEE, SHEPARD AND DILLINGHAM. 

1873. 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873, 

By lee and SHEPARD, 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



CONTENTS. 



CHRISTMAS. 



PAGE 

How to make a Christmas Tree. 13 
The Christmas Bran Pie 19 



PAGE 

Twelfth Night 21 

The Christmas Bag 22 



AMUSEMENTS FOR CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS. 



Shakespeare Reading Clubs. • . 23 

Private Theatricals 27 

Charades 30 

Conju-gate 32 

Dumb-found . . . • 33 

So-ro-sis ,34 



Lamentable . • 35 

Proverbs 37 

Tableaux Vivants 38 

Tableaux of Statuary. . ..... 39 

Lights and Shades. . 41 



VENTRILOQUISM. 



What is Ventriloquism 44 

The Theory of Ventriloquism. . 46 
Practical Rules and Illustra- 
tions 50 



Polyphonic Imitations 55 

To Imitate an Echo 57 

Concluding Remarks; 57 



NATURAL MAGIC. 



-Eolian Harp 61 

Magic of Acoustics 62 

To show how Sound Travels 

through a Solid 63 



Theory of a Voice 63 

Singular Example of Supersti- 
tion 63 



111 



IV 



CONTENTS, 



GARDENING, FLOWERS. 



How to plant Seeds 70 

The Queen of Flowers, the Rose, 75 

Flower Beds 83 

Caruatious 87 

Fuchsias 87 

Pansies 88 

How to plant Hardy Bulbs, , . 89 

Japan Lilies 91 

Cape Bulbs 92 

How to grow Bulbs in Winter. 93 

Garden Insects 96 



Some Useful Hints 99 

Moss Baskets 101 

Hanging Baskets. ....... 104 

Artificial Eockeries 107 

Ferneries 107 

Ivies 109 

Pressed Flowers llO 

Strawberries 113 

Grapes 115 

How to arrange Sea Mosses. . . 117 



HOUSE AND HOME ARTS. 



Knitting 120 

How to knit a Stocking 121 

Baby's Knitted Shirt 124 

Baby's Blanket 125 

Border to a Blanket 125 

Knitted Bed-quilt 126 

Baby's Blanket. 127 

Sofa Cushion 128 

Table Mats 128 

Carriage, or Bed-room Mat. . . 129 

Knitted Moss 129 

Plain Needle-work and Useful 

Hints for Young Ladies. . . 130 
Embroidery in Spangles and 

Cannetille 135 

Embroidery in Laine of Velvet 

and Gold 136 



Embroidery in Feathers 137 

Cork Work 137 

Black Landscape 142 

Vegetable Flowers 142 

Ornamental Seed Work 143 

How to impress Leaves on Vel- 
vet 144 

Paper Pillow 145 

Imitation of Carved Ivory. . , 146 

Diaphanic or Stained Glass. . . 148 

Painting on Glass 151 

Painting on Velvet 153 

Casting in Plaster, Sulphur, &c. 156 

Engraved Boxes. ....... 159 



SOLITAIRE GAMES OF CARDS. 



The Legitimist 161 

The Sultan 163 



French Solitaire. . 
The Army Solitaire. 



165 
166 



CONTENTS. 



THE TOILET. 



The Bath 171 

Complexion. 174 

Kecipe to cure Freckles 175 

A Cure for Freckles 176 

A Cure for Freckles 176 

A Cure for dimples, 176 

Hair 176 

Carrot Pomade 178 

Bandoline 178 



Cold Cream 179 

Recipe for Camphor Ice 179 

Cucumber Salve 180 

To loosen Stoppers of Toilet 

Bottles 180 

To remove a Tight Ring. ... 180 

Hair Wash 181 

Cure for Poison 181 



HOME READING 182 



THE SICK ROOM. 



Cooking for the Sick. ..... 187 

Port Wine Jelly 187 

toast Water 188 

To prepare Rennet Whey. ... 188 

Flax-Seed Sirup 189 

Mucilage of Sago 189 



Applications for the Sick. — Re- 
freshing Lotion 189 

Recipe for Croup 190 

Remedy for Sore Throat. ... 190 

Burns 190 



DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING BREAD, YEAST, &c. 



Bread 191 

Waffles 1^ 

Cream Tomato Soup 195 

Breakfast Cake 195 

Molasses Gingerbread 195 



Plain Cookies 196 

Moonshine Crackers. ..... 196 

New Year's Cookies 196 

Sponge Cake 197 

Loaf Cake ^ 197 



POLITENESS, 



198 



HOME ARTS 



FOE OLD AND YOUNG. 



HOME ^RTS 



C|rij5tinaj5. 



■♦o^ 



We beseech all our youthful readers not to pass by 
our Christmas chapter. 

We wish we possessed an abler pen, that would induce 
every family in the land, rich or poor, to celebrate the 
birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave his life for 
us. Even if some learned men think the twenty-fifth of 
December is not the day Christ was born, what does it 
concern us ? We know Christ brought love and charity 
into the world, therefore in gratitude we should celebrate 
his birth ; the exact period is of but little consequence. 

Seldon informs us that the Christian church, desirous 
of abolishing the Saturnalia of the Romans, a festival 
instituted in honor of Saturn, appointed a festival in 
honor of her Divine Master, Jesus Christ, to supersede 
it. But the observance of the day did not become gen- 
eral until about the year 500. The reason why the 
evening before Christmas day is celebrated, is, that in the 
primitive church the day was always observed as the 
Sabbath, and like it, preceded by an eve, or vigil. It 
was once believed that if we were to go into a cow-house 

9 



10 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

at twelve o'clock, on the night before Christmas, all the 
cattle would be found kneeling. Many firmly believe the 
bees sing in their hives Christmas Eve, to welcome the 
approaching day. 

We deck our houses and churches with evergreen, be- 
cause at this sacred time the earth, then wrapped in dark- 
ness, was, as it were, clothed in living green by the birth 
of Jesus Christ, our Saviour ; fit emblems are they, 
of the never-dying spirit of our Lord and Master. 

The laurel is used with other evergreens at Christmas, 
because of its use among the ancient Romans, as the 
emblem of peace, joy, and victory. In the Christian 
sense it may be applied to the victory gained over the 
powers of evil by the coming of Christ. The mistletoe 
is used in all Christmas decorations by the English. Its 
berries and its green are very beautiful. It is a para- 
sitic plant, and grows on the oak tree. A branch of 
mistletoe is often hung over a door-way on Christmas 
Eve, and if a gentleman can kiss a lady as she passes 
under the mistletoe, he has on that evening a right to the 
privilege. 

The evergreens mostly used in America are hemlock, 
spruce, laurel, and the varieties of ground pine. The 
bright red bitter sweet berries gathered in the fall add 
to the beauty of the wreaths. 

Many have asked the meaning of initials affixed to 
crosses on that day, such as I. H. C, and I. H. S. The 
former stands for three Latin words : '' Jesus Humani- 
tatis Consolator " — Jesus the Consoler of mankind ; 
the latter, "Jesus Hominum Salvator" — Jesus the Sa- 
viour of Men. On some very ancient crosses are found 



CHRISTMAS. 11 

I. N. E. 1.5 "Jesus Nazarenus, Rex Judgeorum" — 
Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. 

" Yule " was a name anciently given to Christmas, and 
it was the custom to select a large log to burn on Christ- 
mas Eve, for in those days the old-fashioned fireplaces 
would hold very large logs of w^ood. The festivities of 
that night lasted until the log burned out. This" log was 
caUed the " Yule log." 

The Scandinavians watched the declining rays of the 
sun from early spring even to December, with great anx- 
iety, and erected slanting dolmens to detect the first 
certainty of its approaching return ; and when informed 
that its face w^as once more turned towards their habita- 
tions, over which their enemy, the snow, had already 
usurped his authority, they brought the " Yule log " to 
the fire, and danced, and sung, and shouted, and drank, 
the grand carouse of all the year, making the frozen 
air jubilant with their Christmas carols under the 
mistletoe. 

Our Pilgrim Fathers had suffered so much persecution 
from the Church of England, that they abolished all 
church festivities. Their persecutions made them austere 
in all things. They looked upon church festivals as de- 
vices of the evil spirits, forgetting that He who gave us 
the bright sun, lovely flowers, and sparkling streams, 
rejoices to see man cheerful as well as good. 

Our Pilgrim Fathers suffered much for our good, and 
now our noble free country can afford to have many fes- 
tivals. 

The celebration of Christmas is fast winning its w^ay, 
^ven in New England. The beautiful custom of decorat- 



12 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

ing our homes and our churches yearly increases through- 
out the land. What can be more appropriate than to 
celebrate the birthday of our Saviour with garlands and 
songs, and the affectionate interchange of gifts. 

God gave us his only begotten Son ; we in humble 
imitation give gifts to our loved ones. God's deeds 
seem consistent with this day. He, whose birth we cele- 
brate, gave his life for us. Can we restrain our hands 
from relieving, our hearts from sympathizing with the 
poor, the bereaved, and the distressed? 

The custom of giving presents at Christmas originated 
in Germany. It was derived from the ancient feast of 
Sol. The children of many Americans, who remember 
Christmas, hang up their stockings Christmas Eve, think- 
ing " Santa Claus " will come in the night and fill them 
with gifts. Some, to avoid being roused at too early 
an hour, have taken a large bag, as a receptacle for pres- 
ents, and the father or mother of the family in due time 
distribute the presents. Others have had a table spread 
with their gifts of love, or place their gifts carefully 
under the breakfast plates, or on the chairs at the table. 
But the German custom of Christmas trees is by far the 
most desirable. We wish it was universal here. The 
writer of this assisted in preparing almost the first tree 
in our portion of New England, but since then the Christ- 
mas tree has spread far and wide ; a tree more productive 
of pleasure and fun was never before planted. 

We will give some simple directions for the arrange- 
ment of the Christmas tree, hoping to induce some fami- 
lies, who have felt a Christmas tree was too expensive, to 
plant it this year. This tree is within the means of the 



CHRISTMAS. . 13 

poor as well as the rich, by the exercise of the united 
skill of any family. 

We think all such festivals and family meetings assist 
in making " the home " the dearest spot on earth. 



1. — HOW TO MAKE A CHRISTMAS TREE. 

The first thing to be considered is how to obtain a 
suitable tree. 

If you are not near any woods, and intend to purchase 
an evergreen from a nursery of trees, the '' silver fir " 
is decidedly the best adapted for that purpose. In the 
large cities, trees of all kinds can be easily bought ; they 
are carried through the streets for sale. If you go to 
the woods, the common spruce is the most suitable. 
The hemlock is the prettiest green, but its boughs are 
not sufficiently firm to bear any considerable weight. 
If a spruce cannot ba found, hemlock can be used by 
nailing narrow slats of wood across the tree and under 
the branches, as a support. Paint the slats green, and 
they do not show ; in that way candles and presents can 
be firmly fastened to its branches. 

If the tree is not perfect in shape, nail on here and 
there an extra branch, until it becomes symmetrical. 

Take a small round tub, or half of a small cask. 
Place your tree in the centre and brace it firmly, and fill 
the cask with sand. Cover the cask with green moss ; it 
is the prettiest green for the purpose. It can be covered 
with little branches of hemlock if moss cannot be pro- 
cured, or even a green floor mat can be placed around it. 



14 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

Another simple way to fasten a tree firmly, is to take a 
suitable block of wood, and have a hole made in the cen- 
tre just to fit the stem of the tree, and cover the block 
with moss, or paint it. Then place your tree either in 
the centre or corner of your room where it is to be, first 
spreading a white cloth over the floor, which will not 
only protect your carpet, but add to the brilliancy of your 
tree when it is lighted. Some use a small tree, and 
place it in the centre of a table ; the presents too large 
and heavy for the tree, are placed upon the table. When 
your tree is firmly placed in the right position, fasten on 
your candles with little tins, cut in the form of a dia- 
mond, with two very acute angles, and bent in the centre 
to form a right angle ; push one point into your tree, and 
on the other fasten your candle or taper. The latter is 
the prettiest, and neatest to use. Buy the colored wax 
tapers. If you prefer you can cut up candles. Tapers 
or candles can be fastened also to your trees by wires, or 
by melting one end of the candle, and while hot, fasten 
it by the melted wax to the branch of the tree. Also 
you can purchase tins prepared to hold the tapers, made 
with a sharp point to fasten to the tree, and one to put 
in the taper ; that point must be heated before fastening 
it to the candle. This tin has a hollow rim around it to 
catch the melted wax. 

Trees can be lighted with gas, by unscrewing the centre 
gas chandelier, and fastening on a gas pipe reaching to 
the floor, with branches or arms of different lengths, 
according to the size of the tree, longer at the bottom, 
shorter at the top. Fasten your tree firmly close to the 
centre pipe ; the branches of the tree sliould hide it. 



CHRISTMAS. 15 

The branches of the gas-pipe should be wound with gold 
or green paper, and the branches of the tree placed, if 
possible, over them. This makes a brilliant tree, and is 
much easier to light, and does not require to. be con- 
stantly watched. But wax tapers are more appro- 
priate. 

When your tree is firmly fastened and the lights all 
arranged, hang on your ornaments with wires and rib- 
bons, commencing with the top of the tree first. 

We will give a few simple directions for making orna- 
ments, which may be useful to those who cannot afibrd 
to purchase. 

To form gilded balls, take nuts, such as walnuts, fil- 
berts, and English walnuts (the latter nut can be opened 
and filled with anything you please, and then glued to- 
gether again). Fasten a long tack or nail into the end 
of the walnut to hold it by, and afterwards to suspend to 
the tree. Wash the nut all over with the white of an 
egg^ laid on with a feather. Then roll it in leaf gold till 
it is well covered. Be careful you do not breathe over 
the leaf gold, or it will ^j away from you. A cheaper 
way is to take a sheet of gold paper, and cut a piece 
sufficiently large to cover the nut. Brush it with paste, 
then fasten it round the nut, rolling it over and over in 
your hand, to fill in every crevice. Apples covered with 
gold paper look very tempting ; a smooth-skinned apple, 
of medium size, can be used, and the gold paper should 
be cut in sections, so that it will fit the apple smoothly. 

Pretty little ornamental bags can be made of English 
walnuts. After the shells are well cleaned, varnish and 
paint or gild them in stripes, then bore holes in each 



16 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

half shell at the top and bottom, and fasten them to- 
gether with narrow ribbon. Another prettier way is to 
take pieces of colored silk or ribbon, and fasten together 
at the side, then take half of one side of a nut, and glue 
the silk firmly all around the inside edge ; hem the top 
of the silk and run in a string, or simply take strong 
saddlers' silk and run all around, to draw it up. Thus 
is formed a pretty bag, which can be filled with candy ; 
lace bags, filled with candy and parched corn, are orna- 
mental. Take oblong pieces of coarse lace, run into the 
meshes bright colored worsted, then fasten them into a 
bag firm with the same worsted, and draw them up 
at the top with worsted. Birds' nests add to the 
attraction of the tree. Take some halves of unboiled 
egg-shells ; dip them in white of egg (but first you must 
have some moss ready), make a hollow of moss in your 
hand, and put the half shell in it. The moss will ad- 
here to the outside. Take care that your moss be thick 
enough to hide the white of the shell. Line the inside 
with down or cotton wool, and put sugar-plum eggs in it. 
These nests look charming in the dark foliage of a tree. 
Small flags are a great addition ; we would suggest that 
flags made to represent the national banner of other na- 
tions would be pleasant work for both boys and girls, 
illustrations of all of which can be found in any large 
atlas. 

For horns of candy, get some white cartridge paper, 
cut squares, ornament them with pictures, mottoes, gold, 
silver, and fancy paper ; shape them into a horn, and 
paste them firmly ; cut ofl* the top point and bind tlie 
rim with paper or ribbon, also paste on a loop of ribbon 
to fasten to the tree, and fill them with candy. 



CHRISTMAS. 17 

Glittering crystals, made of alum, are very pretty. 
To make them, dissolve alum in hot water until it will 
hold no more, then strain it off. Then take bonnet wire 
and form little baskets, sprays of leaves, little wreaths, 
or make the wreaths of tiny sprigs of spruce, fir, or take 
raisin stems (a slightly rough surface is necessary), sus- 
pend these by a network of string tied across the top of 
a deep basket ; the dissolved alum must cover each arti- 
cle entirely ; let them remain undisturbed over night. 
Remove them carefully the next morning, and you will 
find them glittering with minute crystals, resembling dia- 
monds. If powdered tumeric is added to the hot alum 
solution, the crystals will be bright yellow. Litmus 
will cause them to be of a bright red. Logwood will 
turn them purple. The more muddy the solution the 
finer will be the crystals. 

Sprays of mock coral, also tiny baskets of the same 
material, add to the tree's beauty. To make them, take 
bright red sealing-wax, powder it, and dissolve it in alco- 
hol. Then take your twigs, sprays, or anything you 
wish to imitate coral, and dip them in the above mixture 
until they are well dyed. 

Baskets made of moss and filled with natural flowers, 
add a fresh beauty to the tree. Balls made of cake, and 
frosted all over, look like snow balls. Pop corn balls 
make quite a show. Bits of cotton wool, covered with 
diamond powder, and scattered over the tree, imitate 
snow. 

Take gold paper, cut it in strips a quarter of an inch 
wide, and an inch and a half long. Take one of the 
strips and fasten together with paste, forming a ring ; 



18 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

then take another strip and pass it through the ring just 
formed, and fasten it together with paste ; continue this 
process until you have made a long chain. A number 
of these chains, festooned from branch to branch, resem- 
ble chains of gold. 

Fairies always please children, and are easily made. 
Purchase some small, jointed wooden or china dolls, and 
different colored tarlatans for dresses, and form the wings 
of white tarlatan, or of white linen banking paper. Take 
butterfly wings for a pattern ; sew on gold and silver 
spangles on dress and wings, or paste on tiny stars of 
gold and silver paper. Cut little strips of gold paper, 
and roll them up, as you do paper lamp-lighters, for the 
wands. Fasten them with thread or wire to the hand of 
the fairy. The crown of the queen can be made of gold 
paper, cut in strips long enough to go round the head, 
and cut it in points in front, and paste it round the head. 
Fasten wire round the waists of the fairies, leaving one 
long end to wind around the branches of the trees. Thus 
they look as if they were flying. 

Many pretty things can be made from egg-shells, such 
as pitchers, bowls, goblets, and tiny cradles ; ornament 
them with gold paper and little colored pictures. 

There are hundreds of little glittering toys, which can 
be purchased for a few pennies, such as brass beads, little 
looking-glasses, glass balls, gilded toys, &c., too nu- 
merous to mention ; odd bits of tin hung among the 
branches glitter very prettily. 

Every member of a family preparing a Christmas tree, 
should use his or her wits to contrive little inexpensive 
Drnaments ; even the little ones, with some instruction, 



CHRISTMAS. 19 

can make many pretty things, and it will add tenfold to 
their pleasure to feel they have assisted in ornamenting 
their precious tree ; only let them think they can do it, 
and most assuredly it will be done. 

In making presents, every member of the family 
should strive to find out the wants and tastes of those to 
whom they intend to give presents, thinking only of giv- 
ing pleasure, and not of personal gratification of their 
pride or love of show. The golden rule our blessed 
Saviour gave us should be ever uppermost in our minds. 
Love should be the presiding genius of every home 
festival. 

God works upon our hearts in many and various ways. 
Often the simplest thing in life may awaken us to a right 
sense of his goodness and mercy. So in home influ- 
ences, if a Christmas tree every year can add one link 
to the chain which binds us in love to one another, should 
we not be paid for weeks of labor? Every child thus 
early taught thoughtfulness for others, must feel the good 
effects through life. 



2. — THE CHRISTMAS BRAN PIE. 

The bran pie is often used in England, in place of the 
Christmas tree, or as an addition to the "• Twelfth Night " 
party. 

It is within the means of every family, as its contents 
can be inexpensive or expensive, according to the taste 
and means of the maker. 

First, a large wooden bowl should be obtained, or any 



20 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

large tin pan or dish. This can be covered with white 
cloth or not, as the maker pleases ; a wreath of ever- 
greens around the edge is an improvement. 

The contents of the pie may be sugar hearts, rings, 
kisses, or any bonbons, mock rings, or gold rings, indeed, 
any article which can be easily tied up in a small bundle. 
It is desirable that there should be many articles in this 
pie that will cause fun and laughter. Blanks, such as an 
empty box, or some trifle rolled up in many papers. A 
bright piece of silver, called a lucky piece, or a half-six- 
pence, enclosed in a nut-shell, and like all the rest of the 
articles, tied up in paper, adds to the sport. All these 
bundles should be placed in the large bowl or dish and 
covered with bran. A large spoon can be laid on the 
top of the pie. 

This pie should be placed on the table, after a Christ- 
mas dinner or supper, the guests or family all remaining 
in their seats around the table. If there are many little 
ones, it can be arranged beforehand, and have a servant, 
or some member of the family, place the pie at the front 
door, and ring the bell furiously and blow a trumpet ; 
also place a paper on the top of the pie,' on which is 
written, *' A present from Santa Clans." As soon as 
the bell is rung, the ringer must disappear at once, as 
children are wide awake at Christmas. We had a bran 
pie brought in that way ; the children rushed to the door, 
and in their eagerness to see Santa Claus, ran past the 
pie some distance, looking eagerly on all sides ; when 
they returned, one little boy declared he saw him whisk- 
ing round the corner of the street. When the pie is on 
the table, everybody is invited to partake. Each in turn 



CHRISTMAS. 21 

takes a spoonful ; whatever bundle the spoon touches is 
tlieirs ; the bundle must be opened at once and exhibited 
before the next person dips. The very inappropriateness 
of some of the gifts helps to create laughter, and there 
is a good deal of amusement in the after exchanging, or 
refusing to exchange, when the pie is all distributed. 



3. — TWELFTH NIGHT. 

In England their festivities continue twelve days. 
Twelfth Night is sometimes called '' Old Christmas," as 
it was the day celebrated as Christmas before the alma- 
nac was changed. The change was made by Pope 
Gregory XIII., during the year 1 752. Therefore Twelfth 
Night has its own peculiar festivities. In some portions 
of England they have a large gathering of friends. 
During the evening two dishes of little frosted cakes are 
passed round, one for the gentlemen and one for the 
ladies. In each there is one cake with a ring, and one 
with a broken sixpence. The two who get the ring will 
be married before the year is out. The broken sixpence 
indicates an old bachelor or an old maid ; but if the two 
agree to join their broken sixpence, there is a chance for 
them. So says the old tradition. 

A lady, whose early youth was spent in England, says 
where she lived Twelfth Night was celebrated espe- 
cially by the children. At their social parties they 
selected a king and queen, who regulated the festivities 
of the evening. Sometimes the lady of the house pre- 
pared cards, with various figures written or drawn upon 



22 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

them, among them a king and queen. Each child drew 
a card on entering, which designated the character he or 
she was to represent. Of course the lady managed to 
slip the cards of king and queen into the hands of those 
best able to preside. 

In one of our small cities, where there are several 
families who unite in keeping Twelfth Night every year, 
they have but one ring, and whoever gets it must give 
the party the next year. 



4. — THE CHRISTMAS BAG. 

Make a large bag of thin white paper or silver paper, 
fill it with sugar plums, and tie a string around the top, 
to keep it fast. Then suspend it from the ceiling, or 
from a large door frame, and provide a long, light stick. 
Each little child is blindfolded in turn, and the stick put 
into his or her hand. She is then led within reach of 
the bag,, and told to strike it. If she succeeds in her aim 
and tears a hole in it, the sugar plums are scattered on 
the floor, and the little ones scramble for them ; but it is 
by no means easy to strike a suspended object blind- 
folded ; generally many attempts are made unsuccess- 
fully. Each child is allowed three trials. The maker 
of the bag can put in it tiny books, pincushions, or any 
little toy, with the sugar plums. This bag would add 
to a child's party ; it is often used at birthday parties. 
An older person should always superintend, for some 
children would be greedy or rude. 



AMUSEMENTS FOR CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS. 23 



^mttEments kx C|riste golibagi 



ADAPTED TO ALL AGES. 



Shakespeare reading clubs, private theatricals, cha- 
rades, and tableaux are deservedly the popular home 
amusements of the present day. They certainly 
strengthen the lungs and memory, and improve the intel- 
lectual tastes. These amusements are peculiarly adapted 
to enliven long v^inter evenings. As some of our young 
friends may not understand the modus operandi of these 
amusements, we will try and enlighten them. 



1. — SHAKESPEARE READING CLUBS. 

Some clubs read Shakespeare alone. It is most cer- 
tainly a noble study, and one we can never weary of. 
Few can hope ever to excel in delineating Shakespeare. 
Therefore it is well, if we meet together for social enjoy- 
ment as well as improvement, to have a variety of plays, 
such as Sheridan Knowles' plays. Also, it is an admira- 
ble way of learning to converse easily in German and 



24 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

French to read plays in the different languages. In 
reading these plays, the parts, in the beginning, should be 
given to different members. 

The librettos of many excellent plays can be bought 
for a very small sum, such as " Ion," Hunchback," 
'^ William Tell," " Love's Sacrifice," and many other ex 
cellent old plays. These small books are less cumber- 
some to carry around. It is well before the club meets 
to read any play, to have each person read over his or 
her part, so as to be able to comprehend the character. 
Therefore the play to be read at each reading should be 
given out at the close of every meeting, and the parts 
selected, each member having an equal share. Such 
clubs are far more agreeable to its members, and less 
likely to cause unpleasant rivalries, than clubs for private 
theatricals, as private actors are often jealous, for hu- 
man nature, alas ! is weak. 

We have known of some very successful clubs, where 
discord and jealousy never appeared, and where harmony 
reigned. We will give the manner of proceeding adopted 
by one of them, as it may assist in the formation of 
others. The club was started by some young ladies, with 
a view of making home and winter evenings agreeable 
to their brothers. A committee was chosen to form a 
code of laws. Each one was to subscribe a small sum 
to purchase the librettos of their plays. The following 
rules were signed by all the members : — 

1. Each member of the club must take his or her 
turn in choosing a play, and in giving out the role of 
characters. 

2. Every member must take the characters given him, 



AMUSEMENTS FOR CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS. 25 

and do his best, unless he can exchange parts with some 
other member, with the consent of the one who selected 
the play. 

3. The one who selects the play has a right to the best 
character. 

4. The club shall meet once a week at the houses of 
members, in alphabetical rotation. 

5. Whenever any member is unable to take his part 
and cannot attend the meeting, he must provide some one 
to take his character. 

6. No new member can be admitted without the vote 
of the majority. 

7. Each member must study his or her part well, be- 
fore meeting with the club. If any two, or several, 
should have difficult parts together, they must meet pri- 
vately and practise them. 

At first they merely read the plays ; but soon they 
partially acted them, and found them increased in enter- 
est thereby. They always had their little librettos by 
them. Those who had ready memories rarely referred 
to them, or a mere glance would be sufficient. Finally 
they dressed in character, and admitted an audience com- 
posed of their relatives. 

There is not necessarily anything awkward in having 
the books in hand. Such little pamphlets can be easily 
rolled up, and will scarcely be noticed. Under these 
rules they became familiar with the best piays, without 
wearying of them, and each member had an opportunity 
of consulting his own taste. 

Before the winter closed the members of this club 
found they could so easily learn their parts, that they rarely 
14 



26 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

were obliged to refer to their librettos. Constant practice 
improved their memories. Often those whose parts were 
associated together, would meet for private practice. 



2.— PRIVATE THEATRICALS. 

Private theatricals amuse a large circle of friends^ 
and any club willing to undertake the presentation of 
playS deserve the thanks of their audience. 

Even a simple farce requires much labor and frequent 
rehearsals to be well acted, and one soon wearies of the 
constant repetition of even witty sayings. The most 
trivial character must be carefully studied, for one bad 
actor often destroys the effect of the whole play. Then 
the footlights, stage, &c., must be prepared. A few 
directions, with a list of easy farces, may be of service. 
Ail who live in cities can easily hire scenery, dresses, 
&c., but for the benefit of towns and villages, we will 
give a short account of how such things can be man- 
aged. 

Some lady can almost always be found who will give 
the use of her house. A house should be selected which 
has two parlors, connected by large folding doors or an 
arch ; one parlor being for the audience, and the other 
for the stage. All the furniture and carpets should be 
taken from the latter room. A rough staging should be 
built (boards can be easily hired), and by boring a hole 
in the floor, a gas pipe can be run up along the front of the 
staging, with a sufficient number of burners. Tin shades 



AMUSEMENTS FOR CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS. 



27 



Dainted green (as they render the light softer, and more 
ligreeable to the eye), are an addition, for they keep the 
light from the audience, and throw it directly on the 
ictors. A large floor cloth can be nailed on the stage 
for a carpet. A drop curtain, so arranged as to be rolled 
up quickly and easily, by means of a cord pulley at one 
side of the stage, where the prompter sits, just out of 
sight of the audience, is necessary. Scenery for the sides 
and back parts of the stage can be roughly painted on 
cloth ; it answers every purpose of canvas, by being 
strained when wet, over light wooden frames (made so 
las to be easily moved) ; when dry, it presents a smooth, 
hard surface. 

Each member should provide his or her own dress. 

To give the required expressions to the faces, a box of 

'good water colors, some fine chalk powder, camel's hair 

I pencils, and rouge saucers are wanted. To make frowns, 

[scowls, or comical expressions, such as a broad grin, 

b smirk, or simper, stand before a mirror and assume the 

I desired expression ; then trace the wrinkles produced 

with a fine brush of the brown tint ; this will fix the 

required expression on your face. Rouge is best applied 

with the finger. Burnt cork' is excellent for darkening 

eyebrows and making moustaches, also for representing 

leanness, which will be done by applying a faint tint just 

under the eyes, on the sides of the cheeks, and under tht; 

lower lip. A strong mark running from the corner of 

the nose down towards the corner of the mouth on each 

side marks age or emaciation. 

A few directions may be of use in regard to the prepa- 
ration of theatrical dresses. Powdered wigs can be made 



28 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. | 

of tow, ravelled yarn, or gray-colored horse hair ; beards ' 

and moustache of the same, or a piece of buffalo skin, f 

Ermine can be made of cotton flannel, with tags of lion- j 

skin cloth sewed on, or black tags painted. Pelisse wad- j 

ding is sometimes used. I 

Crowns and sceptres are easily made of pasteboard I 

and gold paper. Velvet talma cloaks, capes, or even the | 

loose velvet sack, can be converted into cavalier cloaks i 

(the armholes in the sack must be fastened up on the ' 
inside) by fastening them gracefully over one shoulder. 

Then put on a large old-fashioned lace collar, ruffles | 

around the hand, a Kossuth hat, looped up on one side ' 

with a paste pin or buckle, fastening a white or black j 

plume (taken from some lady's bonnet), stockings drawn ' 
over the pantaloons and fastened at the knees with bows 

and buckles ; and, lo ! with but little trouble, you have a . 
fine cavalier of the olden times. With old finery and 

little ingenuity, a theatrical wardrobe can be quickly j 
made, if all are willing to do their part, but the larger 

share of the work is generally done by a few. Rocks 1 

can be made by throwing plain gray blanket shawls over I 

ottomans, tables, &c. Rain maybe imitated by dropping ' 
peas in a tin pan ; thunder, by rattling sheet iron ; light- 
ning by means of a tin tube, larger at one end than the 
other, and filled with powdered resin. The smaller end 

of the tube should be open, the other end so managed j 

that the resin may sift through. Shake the tube over a i 
lamp, or blow the resin through a plain tube into the 

flame of a lamp, and you will have a good imitation of ! 

lightning. i 

Dissolve crystals of nitrate of copper in spirits of j 



AMUSEMENTS FOR CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS. 29 

wiue, light the solution and it will burn with a beautiful 
emerald green flame. Pieces of sponge, soaked in this 
spirit, lighted and suspended by fine wires over the stage 
of theatres, produce the lambent green flames now so 
common in incantation scenes. Strips of flannel satu- 
rated with it, and wrapped around pieces of copper, will 
form the swords and fire-forks brandished by the demons 
in such scenes. Devices like the above are very simple, 
and add much to the general effect. 

The publishers of this book have printed a large num- 
ber of small plays, adapted for private theatricals, called 
" The Amateur Drama." We will mention a few of 
them that are good ; the old comedies and farces are well 
known to all. 

DRAMAS IN TWO ACTS. 

Sylvia's Soldier, . . 3 male, 2 female characters. 

4 «« 2 " ^ u 

6 " 3 " " 

5 u 3 u u 

5 u 3 u u 



Once on a Time, , 
Down by the Sea, 
Bread on the Waters, 
The Last Loaf, . 



DRAMAS IN ONE ACT. 

Stand by the Flag, . 5 male characters. 

The Tempter, . . 3 " 1 female character. 

FARCES. MALE AND FEMALE CHARACTERS. 

We're all Teetotallers, 4 male, 2 female characters. 

A Drop too Much, . 4. " 2 " " 

Thirty Minutes for Refresh- 
ments, . . 4 " 3 '' " 
A Little more Cider, . 5 " • 3 " " 



so AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

FARCES. FEMALE CHARACTERS ONLY. 

The greatest Plague ia Life, 8 characters. 
No Cure no Pay, . 7 " 

The Grecian Bend, . 7 " 

ALLEGORIES. ARRANGED FOR MUSIC AND TABLEAUX. 

Lightheart's Pilgrimage, 8 female characters. 

The War of the Roses, 8 " " 

The Sculptor's Triumph, 1 male, 4 female characters, 



3. — CHARADES. 

There is no game that can afford so much amuse- | 
ment to a circle of friends as that of acting charades. , 
It affords a scope for the exercise of both wit and in- 
genuity. 

A word must be chosen, in which the syllables may be 
rendered into some kind of a lively performance, and the J 
whole word must be capable of similar representation, i 
Then the plan of action must be agreed upon. Old- ; 
fashioned garments, gay shawls, scarfs, old coats, hats, | 
aprons, gowns, &c., must be looked up for the occasion, i 
and speedily converted into various and grotesque cos- 
tumes, suited to the representation to be made. By i 
exercising a little ingenuity, very fine charades can be , 
acted " impromptu." Speed, in all preparations, is quite 
necessary to success, as an audience is always impatient. ! 
If it is determined to have charades at a party, the lady 
of th^ bouse should arrange dresses, plan of action, and 

i 
■1 

J 



AMUSEMENTS FOR CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS. 81 

subjects, beforehand. She can generally tell who can 
assist her best. If all the arrangements can be made 
without the knowledge of her guests, the effect will be 
greatly increased. This is also an improving game for a 
family of children. Write the plot and a simple dia- 
logue, and let them learn it ; it will be a good exercise 
for the memory, and teach them ease of manner ; but 
\ let them only act before a home circle. 

A talented friend of ours has a very pleasant way of 

'' acting charades in her own family circle, which is well 

f adapted for large family circles, such as assemble together 

' on Thanksgiving, and during Christmas holidays. This 

lady unites her family with a few other pleasant friends. 

^ For a good charade party, twelve or more persons are 

desirable, and two rooms, connecting by sliding or fold- 

^ ing doors, are the most convenient, though two connect- 

: ing by only a single door will do, if the party is not a 

large one. 

First, two persons should be chosen managers ; then 
the managers must choose sides, so that the company 
will be about equally divided. The sides then take sep- 
arate rooms, to become, alternately, actors and audience ; 
the managers draw lots to see which side shall act first. 
Those that are to begin, first choose a word, then pro- 
ceed to represent it. A common way is to divide the 
word into syllables, and present one at each scene, then, 
after having gone through the word, if the other side 
cannot guess it, a scene is given to represent the whole 
word. When all is ready for a scene, the door is thrown 
open for the others to look in and guess it. Frequently 
a whole word is given at once in one scene. The mana- 



32 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

ger must always announce whether one syllable or more x 

is given. After giving the audience time to guess it or i 

give it up, the parties change rooms, and the other side ; 

must act ; they will, of course, have their word selected j 

and all arrangements made, as they had sufficient time ' 
while waiting for the others. 

In acting the word, each party must try to mystify the 

other, yet the syllable must be well represented ; but i 

there can be by-play to divert the audience from the real , 

word. The party that guesses the whole word the soon- j 

est, are considered the conquering party. Care must be i 

taken not to let the actors know if the audience guess the ; 

word before it is fully acted. j 

Sometimes in the place of words, proverbs are acted. \ 

Each word is acted in turn, or two words are acted in j 

one scene ; if the latter, before the scene is acted, some j 

one of the actors can inform the audience that they will \ 

act two words of the proverb. j 

A few directions for acting certain words and proverbs, \ 

and a short list of words and proverbs easy to be acted, \ 

may be an assistance to our youthful readers. j 

If a w^ord or syllable can be represented by action, it | 

should be seldom spoken ; but in some cases syllables i 

must be spoken to give an idea of the word. Some pre- j 

fer acting charades entirely in pantomime. j 



4. _ CON-JU-GATE. 

Con, Arrange a school, one of the actors dressing as 
a country schoolmaster ; let the scholars all have books 
in their hands, conning their lessons in loud whispers. 



AMUSEMENTS FOR CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS. 83 

Ju, The same school can be retained. One of the 
actors, dressed as a German Jew pedler, can come to the 
school to sell pens, pencils, paper, chalk, &c. He can 
talk in a broken Jewish manner. The Jew should be 
prominent in this scene. 

Oate, This syllable, instead of the common represen- 
tation of a gate, made with a small clothes-frame, &c., 
can be represented by having the whole company of ac- 
tors dress in odd garments, and walk about the room in 
couples, each with a different gait, hobbling, striding, 
pompous, &c. 

Conjugate. Let the same schoolmaster assemble his 
unruly school, and give out verbs to be conjugated ; the 
scholars, to make the scene ridiculous, should mix up 
languages and conjugations in a medley. 



5.— DUMB-FOUND. 

Dumh. Let a certain number of the actors be seated 
in a row, when the door opens, or the curtain is drawn 
aside ; let them remain perfectly silent for two moments, 
then let them silently rise and walk out of the room. Or 
as they sit silent, some actor can come in and ask ques- 
tions to each, receiving only a vacant stare in answer ; 
he then can rush out of the room, calling them a stupid 
set ; it would be too plain to call them dumb. 

Found. This can be made very amusing by arran- 
ging a court scene, judge, jury, and lawyers, and a prison- 
er's box, in which an actor, dressed as a servant-girl, can 



84 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

be seated as the criminal accused of stealing a pocket- 
book. Witnesses can be examined. After the court has 
gone over the case, and the lawyers make as much sport 
as possible in their examination, a boy, dressed as a ragged 
Irish boy, should rush in, pocket-book in hand, calling 
on the judge to hear him. After ordering him to be 
turned out, and much talk being made about turning 
him out, at last, in a broken Irish voice, he must scream 
out, " Plaase yer honor, it's me that found it," holding 
aloft the pocket-book. The judge must request to see 
the pocket-book. (A young boy once acting this part, 
caused much laughter, by exclaiming, " Och, and indade 
is the court honest? ") The judge having examined the 
pocket-book, declares the girl innocent, and dismisses the 
court. 

Dumbfound. The room should be partially darkened, 
and some of the actors seated around the room talking 
as they please. One of the actors can be dressed as a 
ghost. A giant ghost acted by dressing up an umbrella, 
or a broom, arranging it with long white drapery of sheets, 
and the person carrying it can raise the dressed-up um- 
brella or broom as they enter the room. The ghost can 
glide slowly around the room ; its occupants should ex- 
hibit silent horror, either by crouching down, contortions 
of the face, or in any way possible, but not a sound 
should be uttered. 



6. _ SO-RO-SIS. 

So, One of the actors should be dressed as a school- 
mistress ; some children can be seated by her with patch- 



AMUSEMENTS FOR CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS. 35 

work in their hands. The mistress can teach them sew- 
ing, while in another part of the room an actor must 
hold some papers of seeds, and pretend to be sewing the 
seeds in a box or pot of earth. 

Bo. Place the actors all in a row ; let them stand 
gazing at the audience a moment, then all at the same 
time make a low bow to the audience, and that scene is 
over. 

Sis. Have a school, and the master should call " sis " 
to come and recite ; any little girl can take the part of 
" sis," or some boy can complain of his '' sis " to the 
teacher. 

Sorosis, Can be made very amusing by representing 
an assembly of strong-minded women. The gentlemen 
actors can dress in outlandish dresses, and act the part 
of women. They can choose a president, and other 
officers, &c. 



7.— LAMENTABLE. 

PRENCH CHARADE. 

" L'amont" can be acted well in pantomime by repre- 
senting an old deaf man, and his young wife ; the old 
man with spectacles on nose, sitting in a large chair, 
reading the newspaper, his young wife standing behind 
the chair. A low tap is heard at the door. She starts 
and listens ; the door opens slyly and discovers a young 
man. She starts with delight, but points to the old man, 
motioning the young man to go. He makes gestures of 
despair ; then appears to have a sudden thought, bows, 



36 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

and retires. Soon a loud knock is heard ; she goes to 
the door, and returns with a letter, giving it to the old 
man ; he reads, shakes his head, and hands it to her ; she 
looks at it, runs for his hat and coat, and motions him to 
go. He leaves at one door, while UAman enters at 
another. Then they act a lover»like scene, and the cur- 
tain drops. 

Table. She again appears with sleeves rolled up, 
apron on, rolling-pin in hand, making cakes, the young 
lover standing by, and now and then eating one of the 
cakes. They hear a heavy step, and the lover runs for a 
hiding-place. At last he springs under the table, and 
she pulls a table cloth down around it, and goes on roll- 
ing cakes. In comes the old man, hobbling along. He 
looks around and suspects something, and begins a strict 
search. Thus ends that scene. 

Lamentable. The same actors appear, but the table is 
turned over, and, behold ! the old man has seized the 
young lover, and is brandishing aloft a heavy cane, 
while the young wife appears, weeping bitterly. 

The following words are easy to be acted : — 

Back-bite. " Bond-age. Brace-let. 

Com-fort. Ann-ounce. In-firm. 

In-fan-tile. Sin-cere, Spec-ta-cles. 

Pa-pa-cy. No-bil-i-ty. Per-mu-ta-tion. 

Fare-well. Pen-i-tent. Rail-way. 

Car-pet. Bride-well. Trans-mute. 



AMUSEMENTS FOR CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS. 37 

8. — PROVERBS. 

SAFE BIND, SAFE FIND. 

Safe. An actor takes the part of a distracted mother, 
rushes around the room exclaiming, " My child is lost ! " 
" He must be drowned ! " &c. Soon one of the actors can 
rush in with a child, exclaiming, '' Madam, your child is 
safe^ but I found him in a little boat, floating out to 
sea ; " other actors can rush in, all talking at once, some 
scolding the child, others rejoicing he is safe. 

Bind, The one acting the part of mother can be 
seated with her work in her hands, and in her basket 
some rolls of old cotton. Three children can come in 
crying, one with a cut head (take some red paint, and 
make a splash on the forehead to represent blood), ex- 
claiming, " O, dear, I'm killed, I know." The other, 
limping and crying, '' O, my foot is broken ! O, dear ! 
O, dear ! " The other complaining of her hand, all talk- 
ing at once. The mother must order them to talk one at 
'a time, and she will bind up their wounds. Then she 
can take her rolls of cotton and bind up the injured 
parts. 

Safe. The mother and children can be seated talking, 
when a knock comes at the door. One child opens the 
door and admits a pedler ; after showing some trifles, he 
declares he has some wonderful money safes, and exhib- 
its some boxes, and expatiates on the virtues of his safes. 
The mother can purchase one for each child. 

Find. The same mother can be seated as usual, w^hen 



88 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

the children must come running in, telling that one of 
their number has lost his safe. They all hunt for it, and I 
look everywhere to find it, to no purpose. 

Safe lind^ safe find. The scene opens with a little ^ 
girl tied into a chair, reading a book. The mother must { 
come in arrayed for the street. On entering, she must 4 
exclaim, " I am thankful I have at last found a way to j 
keep my child from being lost." Then she must turn to \ 
the audience, and ask them if they can tell her the ; 
proverb. If they cannot guess, she must ask if she shall ' 
tell them. Sometimes the audience require time to talk it 
over before they are willing to own they cannot guess it. ^ 

One example will sufficiently illustrate the manner i 
proverbs are acted. We will now give a list of some \ 
proverbs adapted for action. . 

Ill weeds grow apace. 

Little pitchers have large ears. i 

Fine feathers make fine birds. [ 

Union is strength. ^ 

Time unveils truth. 

Black cats have black kittens. , 

Necessity is the mother of invention. 

All is not gold that glitters. \ 

Slow and sure. j 



9.— TABLEAUX VIVANTS. 

Tableaux vivants, as commonly represented, are so 
well understood that no directions are necessary ; but 



AMUSEMENTS FOR CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS. 39 

some of our readers may not have heard of the illustra- 
'aon of poems, &c., by a series of living pictures. This 
is far more interesting than simply to personify some one 
pcture. Still another way is to represeut the different 
verses and scenes in a song in pantomime, while at the 
same time some one who is a good musician sings the 
veises of the song, as they are represented. For in- 
stance, " The Mistletoe Bough ; " first represent a room 
decorated with green, a company assembled, gayly dressed 
and dancing, while a lady or gentleman behind the scene 
sings the verse represented in distinct tones, and so on 
through the whole song ; the last scene, representing 
children in a lumber-room opening an old chest, and ex- 
posing a skeleton, old flowers, &c. *'Auld Robin Grey," 
" The Three Fishers," '' O, they marched through the 
Town," " She wore a wreath of Roses," '' The Minstrel's 
Return from the War," are all excellent ballads to rep- 
resent. 



10. — TABLEAUX OF STATUARY. 

This is a new form of tableaux, and if well done, ex- 
ceedingly beautiful. 

To prepare and arrange groups of statuary re- 
quires artistic skill, patience, and steady nerves ; the 
two last qualities are necessary for those acting as 
statues. 

A lady who excels in preparing groups of statues, as 
w^e can testify, has kindly permitted us to give to the 
public her manner of preparing them. 



40 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

First, some effective groups of statuary must be 
selected, and carefully examined. Then those persons 
who are willing to gratify their friends by acting as 
statues, can be arranged in the different groups according 
to their fitness ; those acting as statues, require marked 
features, and in most groups fine figures to Imild upon, 
as drapery conceals minor faults. All that can be pre* 
pared before the evening, are the head gear and the arti- 
cles for drapery. A cap must be made of white linen or 
cotton, closely fitting the head. Take candle-wicking, 
and knit it on common sized ivory needles, wet it'in hot 
water, and iron it dry. Then ravel it out, and cut it into 
the desirable lengths, and fasten it to the cap like a wig. 
When placed on the head, this candle-wicking can be 
arranged according to the statue to be represented, and 
it will resemble the hair carved in marble. If expense 
is not to be considered, the drapery should be made of* 
cotton flannel, as it hangs heavier, and is more easily 
arranged than sheets, which are generally used to save 
expense. From three to four sheets are often required 
for the drapery of one person, as it is necessary to hang 
in such heavy folds to look like marble. One is usually 
doubled up and tied around the waist, the others folded, 
tied, and pinned, to resemble the drapery of the statue 
represented ; rules are impossible to give, as the arrange- 
ment can only be made by an ingenious as well as an 
artistic person. Now comes the most disagreeable part, 
that of painting all exposed parts, such as neck, face, 
hands or feet, to resemble marble. First, common whi- 
ting must be mixed smoothly in water, the consistency of 
milk. This is put on with a shaving brush, and every 



AMUSEMENTS FOR CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS. 41 

part wholly covered with this preparation ; let that nearly 
dry, then rub it in with the hand, then rub in lily white, 
to give the flesh, besides the whiteness of marble, the soft 
look of polished marble. The lips are finished at the 
last moment. Old white stocking legs drawn over the 
arms will save the trouble of painting them. Then the 
statues are ready to be grouped for exhibition. Any 
person who is nervous, restless, and easily inclined to 
laugh, cannot act as af statue. It is not possible to real- 
ize the beauty 6f such a group of living statuary, when 
well done, unless it has been once seen. We advise 
those attempting to get up exhibitions for the benefit of 
some charitable object, to try a few groups of living 
statuary ; it is very effective to an audience. 



11.— LIGHTS AND SHADES. 

If you wish to throw the background of a tableau into 
shadow, place screens between the lights at the sides of 
the stage and that part of the picture you wish to have 
dark ; vice versa with the foreground. Particular points 
or characters may be more brilliantly lighted than others, 
by placing at the side of the stage a strong light within 
a large box, open at one side, and lined with bright tin 
reflectors. 

Lights of different colors can be thrown successively 

on a picture, and made to blend one with another, by 

placing the various colored fires in boxes three feet 

square, one at one side, and lined with reflectors. Those 

15 



42 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

arranged at the sides of the stage on pivots, can be 
turned on, one after another, so as to throw their light 
on the stage. Before one light has entirely vanished 
from the scene, a different color should gradually take its 
place. 



VENTRILOQUISM MADE EASY. 43 



f ralrHoquiEm Pak €m^. 



Ventriloquism we always supposed, like many other 
arts, depended to a certain extent on natural talent, or 
was a peculiar gift. 

Professional ventriloquists favor the idea that it is a 
'natural gift, in order to enhance their profits. But boys 
of the presant age are not so ready to believe in marvel- 
lous gifts, and may have persevered in trying to imitate 
famous ventriloquists, and to try w^as to succeed. 

A friend ^of ours once met a boy only ten or eleven 
years old, who was an excellent ventriloquist, so far as 
the power of throwing the voice into a closet or adjoin- 
ing room goes. On being questioned if he could explain 
the power he had, the boy said he had heard Harrington 
the ventriloquist some time previous, and having a desire 
to possess the same acquirement, he passed in practice in a 
garret all the spare time he could get for many days, and 
at the end of that time was fairly startled himself at 
hearing a voice come distinctly from an old chest of 
drawers, 

16 



44 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

The persevering little fellow had found out for himself 
the true theory. 

We will give our young friends some plain and simple 
rules and directions how to acquire the power of ventril- 
oquism, which we have obtained from a reliable English 
work ; many persons following these rules have obtained 
proficiency in this art, according as they devoted time 
and attention to the subject. The word ventriloquism is 
derived from venter^ the belly, and loquor^ I speak ; 
literally signifying, belly-speaking. 



l._WHAT IS VENTRILOQUISM. 

Ventriloquism may be divided into two sections, or 
general heads, the first of which may be appropriately 
designated as Polyphonism, consists of the simple imita- 
tion of the voices of human creatures, of animals, of 
musical instruments, and sounds and noises of every 
description, in which no illusion is intended, but where, 
on the contrary, the imitation is avowedly executed by 
the mimic, among which we may classify sawing, planing, 
door-creaking, sounds of musical instruments, and other 
similar imitations. 

Secondly, we have ventriloquism proper, which consists 
in the imitation of such voices, sounds, and noises, not 
as originally in him, but in some other appropriate 
source, at a given or varying distance, in any, or even in 
several directions, either singly or together, a process 
exciting both wonder and amusement, and which may be 
accomplished by thousands who have hitherto viewed the 



VENTRILOQUISM MADE EASY. 45 

ventriloquist as invested with a power wholly denied by 
nature to themselves. 

Polyphony is very common, for there is scarcely n 
public school which does not possess at least one boy 
capable of imitating the mewing of a cat, the barking of 
a dog, or the squeaking voice of an old woman. It is 
very seldom that even a blundering attempt at ventrilo- 
quism is heard, except from a public platform, simply 
from the want of knowledge of how to proceed. The 
art does not depend on a particular structure or organi- 
zation of these parts, but may be acquired by almost any 
one ardently desirous of attaining it, and determined to 
persevere in repeated trials. 

If a man, though in the same room with another, 
can, by any peculiar modifications of the organs of 
speech, produce a sound, which, in faintness, tone, body, 
and every other sensible quality, perfectly resembles a 
sound delivered from the roof of an opposite house, the 
ear will naturally, without examination, refer it to that 
situation and distance ; the sound which he hears being 
only a sign, which from infancy he has been accustomed 
by experience to associate with the idea of a person 
speaking from the house-top. A deception of this kind 
is practised with success on the organ and other musical 
instruments. 

The English Cyclopsedia says " the essence of ventrilo- 
quy consists in creating illusions as to the distance and 
direction whence a sound has travelled.'* How these 
sounds are produced, we will now show. 



46 AMERICAN HOME BOOK, 



2. — THE THEOKY OF VENTRILOQUISM. 

Many physiologists aver that ventriloquism is pro- 
duced by speaking during the inspiration of air. It is quite 
possible to articulate under these circumstances, and the 
plan may be occasionally adopted ; but the practical 
experience of many performers prove that the general 
current of utterance is, as in ordinary speech, during 
expiration of the breath. 

Some think ventriloquism comprises a managment of 
the echoes ; but echo only repeats what has been already 
spoken. Baron Mingon, a famous ventriloquist, had an 
automaton doll w^ith which he could apparently converse. 
He thus describes his modus operandi: "J press my 
tongue against the teeth, and thus circumscribe a cavity 
hetioeen my left cheeh and teeth, in which the voice is pro- 
duced by the air held in reserve in the pharynx. The 
sounds thus receive a hollow and muffled tone, which 
causes them to appear to come from a distance." The 
Baron says, " It is essential to have the breath well under 
control, and not to respire more than can be avoided." 
Ventriloquists often experience fatigue in the chest, and 
have attributed it to the slow expiration of the breath. 
Some are often compelled to cough during the progress 
of exercitation. 

To attain an exact and positive knowledge of the 
modifications of voice specified as ventriloquism, it is 
important to be familiar with the distinctions of the 
sounds uttered by the mouth ; and to ascertain how the 
organs act in producing those vocal modifications, it is 



VENTRILOQUISlVt MADE EASY. 47 

necessary to know how the breath is vocalized in all its 
distinctions of pitch, loudness, and quality, by the ordi- 
nary actions of the vocal organs. In ordinary language 
we speak of noise, of common sound, and of musical 
sounds. A quill striking a piece of wood causes a noise, 
but striking successively against the teeth of a wheel, or 
of a comb, a continued sound, and if the teeth of the 
wheel are at equal distances, and the velocity of the 
rotation is constant, a musical sound. 

Phonation, or the production of voice, is a result of 
actions taking place under two distinct classes of laws, 
namely : the ordinary mechanical laws of acoustics, and 
the physiological laws of muscular movement. The 
adjustment of the vocal mechanism to be brought into 
operation by the current of air, is made by actions, under 
the latter laws ; and phonation is the result of the reac- 
tion of the mechanism on the current of air by mechani- 
cal movements under the former laws. Nbw the pitch 
of the voice essentially depends on the tension of the 
vocal ligaments ; the loudness on the extent of the 
excursion of these ligaments in their vibrations ; the 
duration on the continuance of the vocalizing causes ; 
the equality on the organization of the larynx, and also 
on the form and size of the vocal tube. The form and 
size of this tube can be altered in various ways. For 
instance, by dilating or contracting the mouth ; by con- 
tracting the communication between the pharynx and 
mouth, so as to constitute them distinct chambers, or by 
dilating the opening so as to throw them into one, which 
is chiefly attained by movements of the soft palate, and 
by altering the form of the mouth's cavity, which is 



48 AMERICAIf HOME BOOK. 

effected by varying the position of the tongue. Each of 
these modifications of the vocal tube conveys a peculi- 
arity of quality to the voice, all, however, being local or 
laryngeal sounds. Moreover, sounds can be produced in 
the vocal tube, apart from the larynx. These, strictly 
speaking, are not vocal sounds, though some of them 
may be of a definite and uniform pitch, while others are 
mere noises, as rattling, whispering, gurgling, whistling, 
snoring, and the like. Now, as everything audible 
comes under the classes of noise, sound, or musical 
sound, and as each variety originates in the vocal appa- 
ratus of man, it is obvious that an ordinary vocal appa- 
ratus is all that is required for the achievement of the 
feats of ventriloquy. 

A person in a house cannot judge by the noise of an 
approaching carriage, with any certainty, w^iether it is 
coming from the right or left. Thus it is in many other 
sounds. But we judge the direction sound has travelled 
from its source on reaching the ear. The ventriloquist 
indicates, either directly or indirectly, the direction from 
which he wishes his audience to believe the sound is 
coming. Thus he directly indicates it by words, such 
as, "Are you up there?" "He is up the chimney," 
"He is in the cellar," "Are -you down there?" &c. 
He indirectly indicates it by some suggestive circum- 
stance, as an action or gesture, which is so skilfully 
unobtrusive and natural as to effect its object w^ithout 
being discovered. Thus, when the ventriloquist looks or 
listens in any direction, or even simply turns towards any 
point, as if he expected sound to come thence, the atten- 
tention of an audience is by that means instantly directed 



VENTRILOQUISM MADE EASY. 49 

to the same place. Thus, before a sound is produced, the 
audience expect it to come in the suggested direction^ and 
the ventriloquist has merely by his adjustment of vocal 
loudness^ to indicate the necessary distance, when a 
misjudgment of the audience ivill complete the illusion 
ivhich he has hegunJ^ 

The effect which is produced on sound by its travelling 
from a distance, is observed to be, — 

1. That its loudness is reduced in proportion to its 
distance. 

2. That its pitch remains unaltered. 

3. That its quality or tone is somewhat altered. 

4. That its duration remains unaltered. 

5. That the human speech is somewhat ohscured^ chiefly 
in the consonant sounds. 

It must be remembered that the ventriloquist makes 
the sound, not as it is heard at its source, hut as it is 
heard after travelling from a distance. 

Too much attention cannot be bestowed on the study 
of sound as it falls on the ear^ and an endeavor to imitate 
it as it is heard, for the secret of the art is^ that as per- 
spective is to the eye^ so is ventriloquism to the ear. 
When we look at a painting of a landscape, some of the 
objects appear at a distance, but we know that it is only 
the skill of the artist which has made it appear as the eye 
has seen it in reality. In exactly the same manner a 
ventriloquist acts upon and deceives the ear, by produ- 
cing sounds as they are heard from any known distances. 

We have given the acoustical theory of the effect on 
the auric nerve, and the means are the organs of respira- 
tion and sound with the adjoining muscles. The organs 



-50 AMEKICAN HOME BOOK. 

and muscles used are the diaphragm, the hings, the \ 
trachea, the larynx, the pharynx, and the mouth. 



3. — PEACTICAL RULES AND ILLUS- 
TEATIONS. 

The first voice a student of ventriloquism will strive 
to acquire is what is called " The voice in the closet." 
To acquire this voice, which we so name for distinction's 
sake, speak any word or sentence in your own natural 
tones ; then open the mouth, and fix the jaws fast, as 
though you were trying to hinder any one from opening 
them farther, or shutting them ; draw the tongue back in 
a ball ; speak the same words, and the sound, instead of 
being formed in the mouth, will be formed in the 
pharynx. Great attention must be paid to holding the 
jaws rigid. The sound will then be found to imitate a 
voice heard from the other side of a door when it is 
closed, or under a floor, or through a wall. To ventrilo- 
quize with this voice, let the operator stand with his back 
to the audience, against a door. Give a gentle tap at 
the door, and call aloud in the natural voice, inquiring, 
" Who is there?" This will have the effect of drawing 
the attention of the audience to a person supposed to be 
outside. Then fix the jaw as described, and utter in the 
" closet voice " any words you please, such as, " I want 
to come in." Ask questions in the natural voice, and 
answer in the other. When you have done this, open 
the door a little, and hold a conversation with the imagi- 
nary person. As the door is now open, it is obvious that 



VENTRILOQUISM MADE EASY. 51 

the. voice must be altered, for a voice will not sound to 
the ear when a door is open the same as when closed. 
Therefore the voice must be made to appear face to face, 
or close to the ventriloquist. To do this, the voice must 
not be altered from the original note or pitchy but be made 
in another part of the mouth. This is done by closing 
the lips tight and drawing one corner of the mouth 
downwards, or towards the ear. Then let the lips open 
at that corner only, the other part to remain closed. 
Next, breathe, as it were, the words out of the orifice 
formed. 

Do not speak distinctly, but expel the breath in short 
puffs at each word, and as loud as possible. By so do- 
ing you will cause the illusion in the mind of the listeners 
that they hear the same voice which they heard when 
the door was closed, but which is now heard more dis- 
tinctly and nearer on account of the door being open. 
This voice must always be used when the ventriloquist 
wishes it to appear that the sound comes through an 
obstacle, but from some one close at hand. 

The description of voice and dialogue may be varied, 
as in the following example : — 

" The Suffocated Victim." This was a favorite illus- 
tration of Mr. Love, the Polyphonist. 

A large box or closed cupboard is used indiscrimi- 
nately^ as it may be handy. The student will rap or 
kick the box, apparently by accident. 

The voice will then utter a hoarse ajid subdued groan, 
apparently from the box or closet. 

Student, (Pointing to the box with an air of aston- 
ishment.) What was that? 



52 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

Voice. O, let me out ! 

Student, Why ! there is some one in here, I declare 
(to box). Who is it? 

Voice. I won't do so any more. I am nearly dead. 

Student. Who are you ? How came you there ? 

Voice, You know very well who I am. Let me out ! 
Let me out ! 

Student. I tell you I don't know you. 

Voice. O, yes, you do. 

Student. Tell me quick. Who are you? 

Voice. You're old school-fellow, Tom ; you know 

me. 

Student. Why, he's in Canada. 

Voice. (Sharply.) You know better ; he's here ; but 
be quick. 

Student. (Opening the lid.) Perhaps he's come by 
the underground railroad. Hallo ! 

Voice. (Not so muffled as described in direction.) 
Now, then, give us a hand. 

Student. (Closing the lid or door sharply.) No, I 
won't. 

Voice. (As before.) Have pity (Dick, or Mr. , 

as the case may be) , or I shall be choked. 

Student. I believe you are a humbug. 

Voice, Why don't you let me out and see, before I 
am dead? 

Student. (Opening and shutting the lid or door, and 
saying, the voice accordingly.) Dead! not you. When 
did you leave Canada ? 

Voice. Last week. O, I am choking ! 

Student. Shall I let him out? (Opening the door.) 
There is no one here. 



VENTRILOQUISM MADE EASY. 5^ 

Conversations can be held with pedlers at the door, or 
with some one in the cellar or basement ; and as a rule 
the lower notes of the voice will be best for voices in the 
basement, and formed as low in the chest as possible. 

The second kind of voice, or voice No. 2, we will call 
it, is more easy to be acquired. It is the voice by which 
all ventriloquists make a supposed person speak from a 
long distance, or from or through the ceiling. In the 
first place, with your back to the audience, direct their at- 
teiition to the ceiling, hy 'pointing to it, or by looking in- 
tently at it. Call loudly, and ask some questions, as 
though believed a person to be concealed there. Make 
your own voice very distinct, and as near the lips as pos- 
sible, as that will help the illusion. Then, in exactly the 
same tone and pitch, answer ; hut, in order that the voice 
may seem to proceed from the point indicated, the luords 
must be formed at the hack part of the roof of the mouth. 
To do this, the lower jaw must be drawn back and held 
there, the mouth open, which will cause the palate to he ele- 
vated and drawn nearer to the pharynx, and the sound 
will be reflected in that cavity, and appear to come from 
the roof. Too much attention cannot be paid to the 
manner in which the breath is used in this voice. When 
speaking to the. supposed person, expel the words with a 
deep, quick breath. 

When answering in the imitative voice, the breath 
must be held hack, and expelled very sloivly, and the voice 
will come in a suhdited and muffled manner, little above 
a whisper, but so as to be well distinguished. To cause 
the supposed voice to come nearer by degrees, call loudly, 
and say, " I want you down here ! " or words to that 



54 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

effect ; at the same time make a motion downwards with 
your hands. Hold some conversation- with the voice, 
and cause it to say, " I am coming," or *' Here I am," 
each time indicating the descent with the hand. 

Let the voice, at every supposed step, roll, as it were, 
by degrees, from the pharynx more into the cavity of the 
mouthy and at each supposed step contracting the opening 
of the mouthy until the lips are drawn up as if you were 
whistling. By so doing, the cavity of the mouth will be 
very much enlarged. This will cause the voice to he oh-- 
scured^ and so to appear to come nearer by degrees. At 
the same time care must be taken not to articulate the 
consonant sounds plainly, as that would cause the dis- 
arrangement of the lips and cavity of the mouth ; and in 
all imitatio7i voices the consonants must scarcely be ar- 
ticulated at all, especially if the ventriloquist faces the au- 
dience. For example, suppose the imitative voice is 
made to say, '' Mind what you are doing, you bad boy,'* 
it must be spoken as if it were written, " ind ot you're 
doing, you 'ad w^hoy." (It is rarely a ventriloquist 
shows a full face to his audience, unless at a great dis- 
tance from them. It would help to destroy the ilhisioa 
if the jaws were seen to move.) This kind of articula- 
tion is made by forming the words in the pharynx, and 
then sending them out of the mouth by sudden expulsions 
of the breath clean from the lungs at every word. This 
is often illustrated by a ventriloquist pretending to talk 
to a man on the roof. 



VENTEILOQUISM MADE EASY. 55 



4. —POLYPHONIC IMITATIONS. 

Mr. Love, the great polyphnoist, delighted in his youth 
to imitate the buzzing of insects and the cries of animals. 
Such accomplishments are easily acquired, and we think 
if our young boy friends will follow our directions, they 
will acquire at least polyphonic powers to amuse their 
friends at home and abroad. 

To imitate a " tormenting bee," a boy must use con- 
siderable pressure on his chest, as if he was about to 
groan suddenly, but instead of which the sound must be 
confined and prolonged in the throat ; the greater the 
pressure, the higher will be the faint note produced, and 
which will perfectly resemble the buzzing of the bee or 
wasp. In all imitations of insect noises, the bee should 
he heard to hum gently at first, so as in a private party 
not to attract attention till the right pitch is obtained. 
The sound will penetrate every corner of a large room. 
To assist the illusion, the person imitating a bee should 
pretend to try to catch the insect. To imitate the buzz- 
ing of a blue-bottle fly, it will be necessary for the sound 
to be made with the lips instead of the throat : this is 
done by closing the lips very tight, except at one corner, 
where a small aperture is left ; fill that cheek full of 
wind, but not the other, then slowly blow or force the 
wind contained in the cheek out of the aperture ; if this 
is done properly, it will cause a sound exactly like the 
buzzing of a blue-bottle fly. 

To make the above perfectly effective, the person imi- 
tating a fly or bee, should turn his face to the wall; 



56 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

with a handkerchief strike at the pretended bee or fly, at 
the same time pretend to follow his victim, first this way 
and then that, and finally to " dab " his pocket handker- 
chief on the wall, as though he had killed it ; the sound 
should be at times suddenly louder and then softer, 
which Avill make it appear as it is heard in different 
parts of the room. 

" The Spectre Carpenter." The noise caused by 
planing and sawing wood we often hear imitated. Yet 
but few boys know how easily it is done. Much amuse- 
ment is often caused by this imitation. To imitate plan- 
ing, a boy must stand at a table a little distance from the 
audience, and appear to take hold of a plane and push it 
forward ; the sound, as of a plane, is made as though you 
were dwelling on the last part of the word hash. Dwell 
upon the sh a little, tsh^ and then clip it short by causing 
the tongue to close with the palate, then over again. Let- 
ters will not carry the peculiar sound of sawing ; but 
any bright boy, by carefully listening to the sound made 
by carpenters, with these suggestions, can, with practice, 
imitate the sound perfectly. To make the deception more 
perfect, put some shavings in your pocket to sprinkle as 
you pretend to saw, also a piece of wood to fall when 
the sawing is ended. A friend of ours told us of a 
negro, well known as a famous whistler about the streets 
of Boston years ago, who would place both hands tightly 
over his ears, incline his head downwards, and imitate 
with great precision a music-box ; but he said it pained 
him to do this. 



VENTRILOQUISM MADE EASY. 57 



5. — TO IMITATE AN ECHO. 

It is impossible for a ventriloquist to produce an echo 
in a room of ordinary size, as the walls, being so near, 
would cause the sounds to be blended, and would only- 
produce one impression on the ear ; and yet a skilful 
ventriloquist can with ease imitate, in a room, a moun- 
tain echo. We will give the instructions, as it is very 
amusing. 

Turn your back to the listeners ; whistle loud several 
short, quick notes, just as if you were whistling to a dog ; 
then as quick as possible, after the last note, and as soft- 
ly and subdued as possible to be heard, whistle about a 
third the number of notes, but it must be in the same 
note or fitch ; this will cause the last whistle to appear 
just like an echo at a great distance. This imitation, if 
well done, causes much surprise to those listening. The 
same thing can be done by shouting any sentence, such 
as, "Halloa, you, there!" or, "Ship, ahoy!" Let 
your voice be formed close to the lips ; then quickly, 
and in the same 'pitch or note^ speak the same words very 
subdued, and formed at the back of the mouth. This is 
very simple, yet effective. 



6. — CONCLUDING REMARKS. 

"Any person acquainted with the voices before de- 
scribed, may imitate many others by contraction and 
expansion of the glottis, and hy modifications of the cavity 



68 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

of the pharynoo and mouth. The best way to practise is in 
a room alone, to talk aloud, and, while so doing, to make 
all sorts of contortions with the muscles of the mouth and 
jaws^ first fixing the jaivs in the manner already described, 
then draiving the lips inward^ next putting them forward^ 
at the same time placing the tongue in different shapes 
and. positions in the mouth; also by speaking in the natu- 
ral voice, and answering in the falsetto pitchy which is the 
imitating voice for women and children." 

The ordinary compass of a voice is about twelve notes, 
and a very good practice to the attainment of the art is 
to call aloud in a certain note, and then in the octave to 
that note ; do this several times a day, changing the note 
or pitch, loud at first, and by degrees decrease the sounds ; 
this kind of practice will assist any one in learning to 
modulate the voice to appear to recede or come near by 
degrees. 

We think enough has been said to enable any hoy^ suf- 
ficiently persevering, to become a good ventriloquist. 
" Always remember, that to render a voice perspective^ 
the most essential thing is to attend to the study of sound 
as it falls upon an ear ; then imitate that sound hy the 
different contractions and expansions of the muscles of the 
throaty mouthy face, and jaws. During these various con- 
tractions and expansions, draw in a long breath, and talk, 
first rapidly, then slowly, but always with a sloio expira- 
tion of breath. Do this a dozen times consecutively for 
several days, at the same time elevate and depress the 
roof of the mouthy especially the back part, as this move- 
ment causes the voice to appear near or at a dis- 
tance." 



VENTRILOQUISM MADE EASY. 59 

, We have now given our youDg friends the best practi- 
I cal directions we could obtain from the rules given by a 
skilful ventriloquist. All boys who have faithfully fol- 
lowed our directions, should try their powers before some 
i friend. We think they will be astonished at their suc- 
cess, and will be pleased to become a source of great 
amusement to their friends as well as themselves. But 
beware, boys, of misusing your, power ; always remem- 
ber the " golden rule," and never frighten any person 
seriously. 

Ventriloquism was well known, even before Christ ; 
but it was used only as a means to foster superstition, 
and often took the form of divination. The statue of 
Memnon will instantly suggest itself as a familiar exam- 
I pie. The gigantic head was heard to speak the mo- 
, ment the sun's rays glanced on its features. Undoubted- 
i ly the magic words were pronounced by the attendant 
priest, who must have been a ventriloquist. We could 
give innumerable instances of its use among the ancients ; 
but Ave will close with an amusing anecdote we once 
heard of a famous ventriloquist. He was passing through 
a street with a friend, at the same time a load of hay was 
passing along. The ventriloquist called the attention 
of his friend and others passing along to the suffocat- 
ing cries of a man in the centre of the hay. A crowd 
gathered round and stopped the astonished carter, and 
demanded why he was carrying a fellow-creature in his 
hay. The complaints and cries of the suffocated man 
now became fainter, and he appeared to be dying. The 
crowd, instantly proceeded to unload the hay into the 
17 



60 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

street, the smothered voice urging them to make haste. 
The feelings of the people may be imagined, when the 
cart was found empty. The ventriloquist and his friend 
walked off, laughing at the unexpected result of their 
trick. . ' 



NATURAL MAGIC. 61 



Itatorri Pagk 



The JEolian Harp consists of an oblong box of thin 
deal board, about five or six inches deep, with a circle 
drawn in the middle of the upper side, an inch and a 
half in diameter, around which are to be drilled small 
holes. Along the upper side of the box seven, ten, or 
more small strings, of very fine gut, are stretched over 
bridges near each end, like the bridges of a violin, 
and tightened or relaxed with screw pins. The strings 
must be tuned to one and the same note, and the 
instrument placed in some current of air where the 
wind can pass over its strings with freedom. A win- 
dow, the width of which is exactly equal to the length 
of the harp, with the sash just raised to give the air ad- 
mission, is a good situation. When the wind blows upon 
the strings, wath various degrees of force, different musi- 
cal tones will be sounded ; sometimes the blast brings 
out all the tones in full concert, and sometimes it sinks 
them to the softest murmur. In many old castles these 
harps _were fastened in the windows, and their wild music 
ca,used the ignorant to think they were haunted. 



62 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

A colossal imitation of the instrument just described 
was invented at Milan, in 1786, by Abbate Gattoui. He 
stretched seven strong iron wires, tuned to the notes of 
the gamut, from the top of a tower sixty feet high, to the 
house of a Siguor Muscate, ivho was interested in the 
success of the experiment and this apparatus, called the 
giant's harp, in blowing weather, yielded lengthened peals 
of harmonious music. In a storm this music was some- 
times heard at the distance of several miles. 

Simply tying waxed saddler's silk to little sticks, and 
pushing them into the crevices of windows, so as to re- 
ceive a draught of wind (the silk being strained tight), 
will produce very sweet sounds. 



1. — THE MAGIC OF ACOUSTICS. 

The science of acoustics furnished the ancient sor- 
cerers with some of their most complete deceptions. The 
imitation of thunder in their subterranean temples did 
not fail to indicate the presence of a supernatural agent. 
The golden virgins, whose ravishing voices resounded 
through the temple of Delphos ; the stone from the river 
Pactolus, where trumpet notes scared the robber from the 
treasure which it guarded ; the speaking head, which 
uttered its oracular responses at Lesbos ; and the vocal 
statue of Memnon, which began at the break of day to 
accost the rising sun, were all deceptions derived from 
science, and from a diligent observation of the phenom- 
ena of nature. 



NATURAL MAGIC. 63 

2. —TO SHOW HOW SOUND TRAVELS 
THROUGH A SOLID. 

Take a long piece of wood, such as the handle of a 
broom, place a watch at one end, apply your ear to the 
other, and the ticking will be distinctly heard. 



3.— THEORY OF THE VOICE. 

Proyide a species of whistle common as a child's toy, 
or a sportsman's call, in the form of a hollow cylinder, 
about three fourths of an inch in diameter, closed at both 
ends by flat circular plates with holes in their centres. 
Hold this toy between the teeth and the lips ; blow through 
it, and you can produce sounds, varying in pitch with the 
force with which you blow. If the air be cautiously 
graduated, all the sounds within the compass of a double 
octave may be produced from it, and if great precaution 
be taken in the management of the breath even deeper 
tones may be brought out. This simple instrument or 
toy, has indeed the greatest resemblance to the larynx, 
which is the organ of the voice. 



4. — A SINGULAR EXAMPLE OF SUPERSTI- 

TION. 

The following true story was related to me by one who 
was personally acquainted with the facts. There was a 
certain bend in one of our western rivers which was 



64 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

avoided by every one, as it was supposed to be haunted 
by the devil. At a certain hour in the evening, for many 
years, terrible curses were distinctly heard. Suddenly 
they ceased. A gentleman skilled in the science of acous- 
tics, hearing an account of the strange phenomena, de- 
termined to ascertain the cause, and carefully examined 
the river on each side for about a mile above and below 
the bend. He ascertained that at about the time the 
sounds ceased, an old fisherman, who had lived on the 
opposite side of the river, full a mile from the spot Avhere 
the curses were heard, had died. He Tvas told that the 
fisherman was in the habit of crossing the river to a vil- 
lage, where he found a market for his fish, and where 
he spent his money for liquor ; and that after drinking 
freely on his way home, while rowing across the river at 
night, he would swear terribly. This gentleman then 
persuaded a friend to go down the river to the place 
where the curses were formerly heard, while he remained 
in a boat on the river at the point at which the old man 
usually crossed. He then played on a bugle and sang 
several songs. His friend soon returned, and with eager 

delight exclaimed, '' O, , such glorious music fills 

the air, just where the curses used to be heard ! " The 
neighbors came rushing down to hear it, and some fell 
on their knees, praying. They said, " the angels have 

driven the devil aAvay." Mr. then asked w^hat were 

the songs they heard. His friend described them cor- 
rectly, and said he understood even the words, one of 
them being the famous Marseillaise, another a German 
song ; the foreign words made the ignorant more sure 
that the sounds were supernatural. Mr. then played 



NATURAL MAGIC. 65 

on the bugle, and sang again the same songs, while his 
friend stood by ; but his friend said the music was not 
equal to that he had heard below, where the sounds had 
really seemed heavenly. 

The peculiar configuration of the river banks had con- 
centrated the sounds, and the distance and the water had 
softened them. 

The person who related this anecdote to me said that 
he and his friend had often tried the experiment. Noth- 
ing would convince the more ignorant neighbors that the 
sounds were occasioned by merely natural causes. A 
love of the supernatural is strong within us, and some- 
times leads us into grave mistakes. 



66 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 



iarkning, Jflokris. 



■♦o#- 



We, as a nation, are not a happy, home-loving people. 
The " spirit of unrest" pervades all classes. 

This enterprising, uneasy spirit, has been, and is of 
benefit to us, as a comparatively new country, in settling 
and breaking our wild western lands. 

But the time has come when it is well to curb that 
spirit, and cultivate all quiet, home-loving influences. 

Therefore we beseech you, parents, to begin in earliest 
infancy to cultivate a love of the beautiful in nature ; 
give your little ones flowers ; and as soon as they are 
able to play in the garden, give them a little spot of their 
own to dig iu ; and when they can understand the process, 
give them seeds to plant, and some few flowers to culti- 
vate. We can tell you of a happy cottage home, where 
the children, from earliest infancy, have lived among 
flowers. Each had their tiny garden, with spade, 
hoe, trowel, and watering-pot. The father and mother 
would also assist with their* own hands in training vines, 
roses, and shrubs, in artistic beauty. The good father 
never went to his counting-room without some flowers in 



GARDENING, FLOWERS. 67 

his hand, or in the button-hole of his coat, the valued 
gift from the tiny garden of one of his darlings. Years 
passed and fortune favored them, but they never would 
exchange their cottage home, with its vines, trees, and 
shrubs, for all the stately mansions in the town. And as 
the daughters married, and the sons left to seek their 
fortunes, they would look back with intense longing to 
their loved home ; and joyous were their meetings around 
the home Christmas tree. 

On Sundays they always, even in midwinter, orna- 
mented their social table with flowers, for they are God's 
smiles. Therefore, my friends, we speak from observa- 
tion, and from seeing the effect of an opposite course. 
If you wish to lessen your doctor's bill, and give the 
beauty of robust health and happiness to your children, 
girls or boys, give them a garden, and let them plant, 
weed, and water it. If your children bring you even a 
simple field daisy, express your pleasure to them, and let 
them not see you cast it aside. 

A well cared for garden displays — and displays to 
good advantage too — the love of home, domestic taste, 
a wish to please, industry, neatness, taste, and all the 
sweet household virtues that create a happy home. 

Horticulture confines itself to no rank, and it may form 
the amusement or the pursuit alike of great and 
small, rich and poor; only the kind of garden we 
choose, and what we do with it, must depend on our 
circumstances. 

Teach your boys the use of a pruning-knife, and how 
to graft ; then give them some trees to experiment upon. 
You may save them from dissipation, by giving them a 



68 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

taste for horticulture. It is a happy, health-giving 
employment. 

Decorate even your barn with graceful vines. The 
poorest house can be made an agreeable place by trans- 
planting a few of the many simple wild vines. It is not 
natural to love intensely a stiiF, ungainly object. 

We have often thought, as we have roamed about the 
farming districts of New England, and have seen the 
many great, stiff, square houses, with not a graceful tree 
or flower to relieve their nakedness (though now and then 
a syringa, or lilac bush, or cinnamon rose, ai^ perhaps a 
stately old butternut, may be seen), the sons and daugh- 
ters of those households will surely emigrate. Utility is 
our hobby. Some farmers think it waste time to plant a 
flower, as it yields no fruit. 

Remember the old saying, " All work and no play 
makes Jack a dull boy." You that dwell in a city, strive 
to have a small spot in the country to which you may 
send your children in summer, to roam at will. We 
heard a little child, in urging her mother to go into the 
country in vain, cry out, "It is too, too 6ac?, mamma. 
We know God did not make the city for little children, 
because he loves us." 

Do not waste your money at fashionable watering- 
places. Even in early years, take your children to the 
woods and let them see nature in its wild state. There 
is nothing like a day in the woods for refreshing us all, 
in body and mind. The wild music of running brooks 
is so lulling, the birds carol their " native wood-notes 
wild " so sweetly, the strange blended odor of the damp 
mould, the leaves, the wild flowers, and the prospect of 



GARDENING, FLOWERS. 69 



the distant meadow, are so delightful ; the play of the 
sunlight through the dense foliage, and on the sylvan 
walks, is so beautiful, and the quiet is so marked, after 
the hum and roar of a city, that the mind is tranquillized, 
and both you and your children will be nearer to God, 
and nearer to one another, for every hour thus spent. 
Our whole country is full of wild beauty. Spend your 
spare money in decorating your homes with trees, flowers, 
and shrubs. The influence upon your children will be 
far more beneficial. 

If your children wish for money to purchase seeds and 
flowers for their gardens, if possible, give it cheerfully. 
It is far better so spent, than in dress and toys. Let 
them plan their own gardens, and experiment as much as 
they please. A very pretty fence can be made round such 
gardens by a number of stakes of equal lengths, pointed 
at one^end to drive into the ground, square at the top, 
and painted green. Then place them at equal distances 
around your garden, and bore holes about six or seven 
inches apart for the twine, which should be brown linen. 
Pass the twine through the holes, in lines all around the 
garden. Plant vines which run rapidly, such as Cypress 
Yine^ Maderia Vine, Nasturtium, Maurandya, Barclay- 
anna, Dwarf Convolvulus, Mountain Fringe, &c. By 
midsummer your simple fence will be very beautiful. 

Having spent many years in cultivating flowers, per- 
haps a few practical directions from our own experience 
may be of service to our readers. And we will give 
some excellent suggestions taken from a famous florist. 



70 AMERICAN HOME BOOK, 



1. — HOW TO PLANT SEEDS. 

We often think, because the seed we plant does not 
germinate, that we have purchased poor seed, when the 
fault is in the manner of planting. 

Nearly all kinds of flower seeds require transplanting, 
therefore it is best to plant in boxes, pots, or hot-beds. 
Old cigar boxes are convenient, and are easily handled, 
but first bore holes in the bottom of the boxes, and in 
your pots or boxes place either broken clam or oyster 
shells, or pieces of old flower pots, as a drainage ; then 
take light, rich earth and sift it or rub it carefully in 
your hands, to be sure there are no lumps ; some bake 
the earth to destroy any insects which may be in it, but 
it answers the same purpose to pour boiling water upon 
it. After you have filled your boxes or pots with this 
prepared earth, sprinkle your seed carefully over it, and 
sift over them light soil sufficient to cover them, moisten 
them with warm water, and place the box where there is 
but little light, and throw a piece of paper over the top. 
Some use a piece of thick flannel ; if you use flannel, 
water your seeds without removing it, until your geeds 
have sprouted. A warm place will start them best. 
Let them remain thus several days, till the seeds have a 
chance to swell, before you give them much light, and 
keep the earth moist (a sponge is excellent to water them, 
as it does not disturb the position of the seeds ; also use 
warm water) ; as soon as you see they are sprouting, 
give them light, and air, if not too cold, or else the plant 
will not have strength to grow well. Hot-beds are the 



GARDENING, FLOWERS. 71 

best, and can be made with but little expense, by taking 
some old box ; and if you do not possess an old window- 
sash, you can purchase one of some builder for a trifling 
sum of money, and fit it to your box by nailing strips at 
the sides ; dig a place the size of the box, and two or 
three feet deep ; fill it with horse manure, mixed with 
straw, which is the most heating ; then sprinkle soil over 
the top about six inches deep ; place your box on the top, 
carefully heaping the earth around the outside, and your 
hot-bed is made, in which you can start your seeds and 
slips by either placing your boxes or pots in the earth 
on top of the manure, and plant your seeds and slips 
in them, or as many prefer, planting in the soil of your 
hot-bed. After your seedling plants are of sufiicient 
size to transplant, if you first transplant them into small 
pots, you can easily plant them in your flower beds with- 
out disturbing the roots, and the plants will not require 
covering ; you must first dig a hole and pour water into 
it, then carefully slip the plant, dirt and all, from the pots, 
and place into the hole made for it, and press the earth 
tight around it. Of course they must remain in the pot 
till they are well rooted. In raising slips, you need to 
mix in full half common scouring sand with the soil, and 
they must be shaded from the light several days. 

All who care for flowers will desire to raise verbenas, 
as they blossom all summer. If you wish to raise them 
from seed, they should be sown in February or first of 
March. One secret in raising fine verbenas is change of 
soil. It would be better to plant them every year in a 
difierent location, but if you renew the soil it will do to 
plant them twice in the same bed, but never three years 



72 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

in succession. Indeed, flowers as well as vegetables need 
constant change of soil ; they soon exhaust the earth. 
Seeds are better that are raised in locations distant from 
the place where they are to be sown. Flowers soon de- 
teriorate if you continue to plant over and over from seed 
raised in the same spot ; that is one of the reasons why 
seeds from Europe are generally preferred by florists. 
Japan Pink seed should he planted in March, in order to 
have them flower the first year ; they are hardy and 
blossom also the second year. Pansy seed should be 
planted as early as Verbenas. Ten Weeks' Stock, Phlox 
Drummondi, Double Zinnias, Lobelia, Petunias, Portu- 
laca, Salpiglossis, Candytuft, Larkspur, &c., should be 
planted in April. If you desire to raise Picotee or Car- 
nation Pinks for the next year, and Canterbury Bells and 
Fox Gloves, sow in April. Sow Asters of all kinds the 
last of April or first of May. Some of the climbers, 
such as Maurandya Barclayanna, Tropasolum, commonly 
called Nasturtium, Cypress Vine, Thunbergia, &c., need 
transplanting, and better be sown early. Sweet Peas 
should be sown in the open soil about three inches deep, 
early in April. It is better to soak the seed in warm 
water before sowing. When they have germinated, and 
as they begin to climb, fill in earth around them, and 
water now and then thoroughly with soap suds. Mignon- 
nette should not be transplanted ; sow the seed in the 
open soil the first of May. Candytuft and Sweet Alys- 
sum are hardy, and the seed can be sown out of doors ; 
but if you have once had them, they will come up self- 
sown. Look over your beds in spring, and take up such 
plants, when you have the soil prepared and beds made, 



GARDENING, FLOWERS. 73 

then you can plant them back again where you desiref. 
Joseph's Coat is a very brilliant plant ; its leaves are all 
shades of green, red, and yellow ; the seed can be sown 
either in or out of doors by the first of May, also Golden 
Calliopsis. Balsams will grow better if the seeds are not 
planted till the second week in May, out of doors. 

All the flowers we have mentioned are desirable, even 
in a small garden ; of course there are hundreds of vari- 
eties of even annuals, but unless you have a gardener it 
is impossible to raise them all, for it is desirable, even in 
a small garden, to have some flowers raised by slips, or 
bought from some green-house, such as Fuchsias, Double 
Feverfews, Scarlet Geraniums, Bouvardias, Heliotropes, 
Rose Geraniums, Lemon Verbenas, Monthly Roses, Hardy 
Perpetuals, &c. Hardy Perpetual Roses are desirable in 
every garden, they grow so thrifty and blossom all sum- 
mer, and with a little covering will live out all winter, 
and if they are showered often, early in the spring, while 
the dew is on the roses, with whale-oil soap suds, using 
a syringe to shower them, it will prevent the usual dam- 
age done by the slug. If you have a shady, moist place 
in your garden, there you can plant your Lily of the 
Valley, Double Blue English Violet, Forget-me-not, and 
Pansy. 

Fuchsias also require some shade. Heliotropes and 
Geraniums will bear enriching more than most plants ; 
frequent waterings with guano water are excellent. A 
table-spoonful of guano to a gallon of water is suffi- 
ciently strong. It also improves Pansies, Fuchsias, and 
nearly all plants except Roses. Soap suds is better 
for Roses and Verbenas, at least according to our expe- 



74 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 'i 

fience. Nearly all plants make a finer show in a garden | 

arranged either in beds, each variety by itself, or in | 

clusters. Before planting your garden in spring, it is | 

well to carefully consider the nature of each flower, and ] 

arrange your garden so that each flower can be displayed . 

to advantage ; never plant promiscuously ; it is astonish- | 

ing what a diflPerence landscape gardening will make in ; 
the general aspect of even a small place. It is quite as 

desirable as to arrange the colors in a picture to har- | 

monize. Even an old stump of a tree can be made \ 

beautiful by planting vines around it, or by scooping out i 

the top and filling in soil, and planting Nierembergia, ] 

Lobelia, Double Nasturtium, Variegated Myrtle, &C.5 in : 

it. Those we have mentioned blossom all summer, ex- j 

cept the Myrtle, the leaves of which are as beautiful as i 

many flowers. l 

If we ladies would spend less time on our dress and in ; 

arrangements for the table, and take that time for work- j 

ing in our gardens with our children, we should not only < 

make our homes more attractive, but we should gain in I 

health and strength. Early every spring call a family < 

council to decide the arrangement of your flower I 

garden. Let your boys have a place to raise vegetables \ 

as a pastime. Encourage them to diligence by promising j 

to purchase all they will raise ; in that way they can earn i 

money to give to the poor, or for their Christmas pres- | 

ents ; even, children will take far more pleasure in giving | 

what they have really earned with their own hands. ; 



GARDENING, FLOWERS. 75 



2.— THE QUEEN OF FLOWERS, THE ROSE. 

This beautiful flower deserves especial attention, and 
is truly called the Poet's flower. A rose is the type of 
beauty in women. A lovely maiden is called a rose-bud. 
A beautiful matron compared to a rose in full bloom. 
Its delicate and refreshing perfume is always welcome to 
an invalid. It adorns a bride, and is a tribute of love in 
decorating the lifeless remains of our loved ones. 

Volumes could be w^ritten upon the beauties of the 
irose. A child can cultivate this beautiful flower. If 
you do not possess any ground, there always will be room 
for at least one pot with a rose in your own room. 

Roses can be classified under three general heads. 

No. 1. * 

Those that bloom only once in a season, such as Hy- 
brid China, Provence, Sweet and Austrian Briars, most 
of the mosses, and all climbing varieties that are hardy 
in New England and the Middle States. We do not 
advise our young friends to cultivate this class, unless 
they have large gardens. Madame Plantier is the only 
variety which we retain in our garden. This rose is 
a profuse bloomer, and one of the most perfect white 
roses grown; We will mention some of the desirable 
climbing varieties which can be used for " Pillar Roses." 

Queen of the Prairies, deep rose color. 

Baltimore Belle, blush white, blooming in large 

clusters. 

18 



\ 

) 
76 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. <j 

Russeliana, crimson shaded to pink. 1 

Madame d'Arblay, creamy white. :! 

Gem of the Prairies, carmine, blotched white, very 
full. I 

Superba, flesh color, clusters immense. 

No. 2. 

THE HYBRID PERPETUALS, OR REMONTANTS. 

This desirable class is of comparatively recent origin, 
and obtained by hybridizing the Provence and Damask 
varieties with the Ever-blooming, or China. They in a 
measure combine the qualities of the two classes, but 
less of the China, as the name Perpetual is a misnomer, 
for the chief blooming ones in regular season of rose 
flowering, unless especial care is taken to cut oflT every \ 
flower as soon as they begin to wither, and keep the plant ' 
growing freely, then these plants will bjossom twice or ) 
thrice in a season. Most of these Remontants are full ' 
bloomers, and the flowers very perfect. We will give a 
list of a few varieties we can recommend. i 



Auguste Mie, pale shade of rose, very full. 
Baronne Provost, bright rose, very double. 
Blanche Vibert, pure white, delicate grower. 
Caroline de Sensal, blush, pink centre, free bloomer. 
Geant des Batailles, reddish crimson, superb. 
General Jacqueminot, bright crimson, very brilliant. 
Jules Margottin, bright scarlet crimson. 
Le Lion des Combats, very dark crimson purple. 



GARDENING, FLOWERS. 77 

No. 3. 

The monthly, or ever-blooming class, a?e distinguished 
by their delicate shining leaves and stems. This class 
comprises four sub-classes, namely, the Noisette, Tea, 
Bengal, and Bourbon. 

The Noisette are of rampant growth, usually flowering 
in clusters. In the Southern States they need no cover- 
ing during the winter months, but in the North, East, 
and West, if buried in winter, and properly trained, 
they are often used as Pillar Koses, particularly the 
beautiful La Marque, whose pure white buds are so val- 
uable to all florists. If planted in the ground in a green- 
house, it will climb all over the walls. We will name 
some varieties which we have cultivated, and know can 
be successfully raised, even in New England. 

NOISETTE. 

Aime Vibert, pure white, very full bloomer. 
America, straw color. 
Gloire de Dijon, blush white, buff centre. 
Lamarque, large, white, shading to yellowish centre. 
Minette, light crimson, very double. 
Marshal Niel, very beautiful deep yellow. 
Souvenir d'Anseleme, deep carmine. 
Solfaterre, deep straw color. 

TEA. 

. Adam, rich rose, salmon shaded. 
White Tea, the freest bloomer of all roses. 
Camellia Blanche, pure white. 
Devoniensis, blush, Magnolia fragrance. 



78 



AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 



Isabella Sprunt, clear canary yellow. 
La Pactole, canary color, free bloomer. 
Safrona, orange yellow. 

BENGAL. 

Agrippina, bright crimson. 
Bousanquet, blush white. 
Louis Philippe, light crimson. 
Madame Rohan, pure white. » 

Napoleon, blush, extra large. 

BOURBON. 

Marshal Niel, a deep buff; the king of roses. 
Bousanquet, rich blush, free bloomer. 
Due de Chartres, large, very double, crimson. 
Hermosa, deep pink, most desirable, I 

Psyche, light rose, very double. f 

Souvenir de Malmaison, flesh color, very double, } 
superb. \ 

Sombriel, blush white, one of the best. ] 



There are comparatively but few varieties of roses 
suitable for producing an abundance of flowers in winter, 
and these would not be called the finest varieties for 
summer culture. They are selected for their buds. 
The Safrona for instance, is selected for its deep, saffron 
colored buds ; the full flower is but semi-double. We 
will give the names of a few of the roses best adapted 
for winter culture. 

Lamarque, white, tinged with straw color. 
Safrona, saffron yellow, free bloomer. 



GARDENING, FLOWERS. 79 

Agripplna, rich deep crimson, free bloomer. 

La Pactole, light canary-color, abundant bloomer. 

Hermosa, rosy pink, most prolific variety. 

Gloire de Dijon, large, full, buff, shaded to salmon. 

CULTIVATION. 

The best soil for the rose is a rather stiff loam, al- 
though it is not particular about soil, but grows luxuri- 
antly, flourishes well in a fresh loam with a plenty of 
pure air and sunlight. A stiff, clay loam will produce 
better flowers, and of a deeper color, than a soil of a 
light muddy character. If you desire many blossoms, be 
careful to cut off every rose when it fades away. We 
gather our roses so freely, we leave but few to wither. 
In the spring roses should be pruned thoroughly. 

Many people have been discouraged in raising roses, 
on account of the slug and other insects ; but nothing 
can flourish in this world, that is desirable, without care. 
So with the rose. Early in spring, just as the buds are 
starting, wash your roses in a solution of tobacco or 
whale-oil soap. If the insects appear on the leaf, syringe 
^ the bush freely, early in the morning or late at night, with 
a solution of Avhale-oil soap. Sprinkle wood ashes or 
i charcoal dust around the roots. 

I A gardener invariably recommends monthly roses, 
rather than the so-called perpetuals. Those who pur- 
chase perpetuals, without a previous knowledge of their 
j habits, are always disappointed in the few flowers they 
produce after the first blooming. Their great virtue is 
ithe hardy nature of the plant. The monthly roses bloom 
rOt the South nearly the whole year. But what shall we 



80 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

I 

do with these delicate roses at the North during the win- j 
ter? The best way is to lay them down, and cover with I 
sods, or earth and manure. If the subsoil is gravelly or | 
sandy, they will surely keep, as a good drainage is ne- 
cessary, without it they cannot live. The way to lay 
down a rose-bush is to dig a trench four or five inches ' 
deep, up to the root of the rose, then bend your rose- j 
bush carefully into the trench, and peg it down. Cover 1 
entirely root and branches by sods, placed grassy side | 
upwards, forming a hillock. Or cover it with earth or \ 
sand, and straw or manure. l 

The next important consideration is the time at which \ 
it is done. Few amateurs have any idea of the amount I 
of freezing which even the tender tea roses will sustain ' 
without injury. It often proves fatal to roses to be cov- 1 
ered too soon. It is well to cover the ground around the ' 
roots of the roses with leaves or straw to prevent the j 
earth from freezing. In New England, the early or mid- 
dle part of November is generally the time to cover roses 
for the winter ; in the Middle States, in December. The j 
best rule is to let your roses remain uncovered, until the 
ground can no longer be ploughed, or dug with a spade. 
This covering can be removed as soon as vegetation \ 
fairly starts in spring. Every plant thus saved possesses i 
a four-fold value over those planted out in the spring, as ' 
the roots have been so little disturbed. Another way is , 
to dig a trench, line it with straw, and lay in your deli- j 
cate roses, then cover entirely with earth until spring, j 
Roses that have bloomed all summer should not be potted i 
for winter use. They need rest, and will not flourish in 
warm rooms- ^ 



GARDENING, FLOWERS. 81 

ROSES FOR WINTER BLOOMING. 

Eoses for winter blooming require a different treat- 
ment, as one essential condition of free winter flowering 
is, that the plant has abundance of active, or, as gardeners 
term them, " working roots." Plants are started for this 
purpose either by cuttings struck in March, or else one 
year old plants are used. These plants should be re- 
potted frequently to prevent their becoming pot-bound. 
They must never be allowed to dry or wilt in the heat 
of summer, else the white, working roots will perish, 
and before the plant can regain its vigor new ones must 
be formed. You must not attempt to force your rose at 
first ; when you take it in for winter, a cool temperature 
will be needful. It depends upon when you desire rose- 
buds how you treat it. It must be pruned previous to. 
flowering. If you desire roses the first of January, 
prune or shorten the shoots the first of November (earlier 
for Christmas). They then can be placed in tempera- 
ture ranging fifty degrees to sixty degrees at night, with 
only fifteen degrees higher during the day. Two year 
old plants are better for new beginners, as they form 
working roots sooner, having more fibres. 

In the summer the plants should be exposed to the 
sun ; but to keep them from drying, place the pots in 
beds of sawdust, or refuse hops, tan, bark, or sand, 
whichever is most convenient to obtain. 

PREPARATION. 

Our young friends may desire to raise their own roses, 
so we will give them a few directions. The best time 



82 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

1 

to take cuttings is from October to January. The wood i 

must be ripened ; cuttings are usually made with three ' 
or four eyes. These cuttings are best put into a cold 

frame, or in a box prepared with equal parts of sand, leaf : 

mould, and loam ; all they require is sufficient protection : 

not to freeze. Cuttings placed in such frames about the j 

last of October, will be rooted sufficient to pot by March. '■ 

Cuttings can be placed in rows quite near together, say i 

an inch apart, and the rows three inches apart. This j 

space allows you to press the soil firmly about each stem. ] 

One thorough watering, when put in, to settle the soil \ 

closely around them, will usually be all that is necessary ; 

until they begin to root in the spring. Some varieties '. 

will root much easier than others. As soon as they are ; 

well rooted, they should be potted in two inch pots, j 

shaded and watered for a few days, and gradually hard- ■ 

ened off by exposing them to the air ; in this way they ! 

can be sufficiently rooted to plant in the open ground in j 

April or May. Layering is more easily done from about ' 

the middle of June to the middle of September, always j 

using shoots of the young growth — that is, a growth l 

of three or four weeks old, or such as are not so much i 

ripened as to drop the leaves ; or in other words, the cut i 

should always be made at that part of the shoot where ■ 

there are as green and healthy leaves below as above the . 

cut. This condition of the shoot is very important, in \ 

order to produce a well-rooted layer. ] 

Another mode of layering, not in general use, is, to j 

place the layer where the incision is made, in a three or \ 
four inch pot, sinking the pot in the ground to the level 

of the rim ; all the roots being confined in the pot, when i 



GARDENING, FLOWERS. 83 

the layer is lifted, no check is given to them. Layers so 
made may he planted out in the fall, and if a little mulch- 
ing is given round the roots, not one plant in a hundred 
will fail ; while if the layering is done in the usual way, 
without pots, a heavy percentage is almost certain to be 
lost during the winter. To the florist, without proper 
means of propagation, this method of layering roses in 
pots will be found- very advantageous, as every layer so 
made will make an excellent flowering plant by spring, 
if kept in a green-house or cold-pit, during the winter, 
and will prove nearly as valuable to the purchaser as 
large one year old plants. 

ROSE-BEDS. 

Before planting a rose, be sure to find out its nature, 
or you may have a tall bush where you would desire a 
low shrub-growing rose. In arranging rose-beds, plant 
the tall standards in the centre. Then a row of high 
bush growing roses, then a row of half dwarfs, then a 
row of dwarf-growing roses. If this selection of the 
roses in such a bed is properly made, it will be pleasant 
to the eye from June to October. Of course the roses 
should be chiefly monthlies, or free-blowing perpetuals. 



3. — FLOWER BEDS. 

• There are a great variety of opinions as regards the 
most efiective way of planting flower beds. Some pre- 



84 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

fer to mix plants of different colors and varieties ; others 
prefer the ribbon style of planting, now so generally seen 
in Europe. 

If the promiscuous style is adopted, care should be 
taken to dispose the plants in the beds, so that the tallest 
plants will be at the back of the bed; if the leader is 
against a wall or background of shrubbery, the others 
graduating to the front, according to the height. In 
open beds, on the lawn, the tallest should be in the cen- 
tre, the others grading down to the front, on all sides, 
interspersing the colors so as to form the most agreeable 
contrast in shades. But for grand effect, nothing, in our 
estimation, can ever be produced in promiscuous plant- 
ing to equal that obtained by planting in masses or in 
ribbon lines. In Europe the lawns are cut so as to re- 
semble rich green velvet ; on these the flower beds are 
laid out in every style one can conceive ; some are planted 
in ^nasses of blue, scarlet, yellow, crimson, white, &c., 
separate beds of each, harmoniously blended on the car- 
peting of green. Then again the ribbon style is used 
in the large beds, in forms so various that allusion can- 
here be made to only a few of the most conspicuous. 

In a circular bed, say of twenty feet in diameter, the 
bordering can be of blue. Lobelia, attaining a height 
of six inches ; next plant Mrs. Pollock Geranium (this 
does not grow very thrifty out of doors in New Eng- 
land), or Bijou Zonale Geranium, growing about nine 
inches high. If you plant Mrs. Pollock, on the next 
row to it plant Mountain of Snow Geranium ; if the 
Bijou plant, a circle of the red-leaved Achyranthus ; 
there are several varieties of this plant. Next the Coleus 



GARDENING, FLOWERS. 85 

Verschaffeltii ; the centre being a mound of Scarlet Sal- 
via. Another style is to edge the bed with Alternanthera 
Spothalata (leaves pink and crimson), which grows low 
and thick for a border. Then the fern-like, white-leaved 
Centaurea Gymnocarpa ; next row, the Crystal Palace 
Scarlet Geranium. Then Phalaris Arundinacea Picta, a 
new style of ribbon grass ; next Coleus YerschafFeltii ; in 
the centre a clump of Coma or Pampas Grass. 

There are a great many different ways of arranging 
these ribboned beds. It is pleasant to exercise one's own 
taste, therefore we only give examples to teach our read- 
ers how such beds can be prepared. 

Narrow beds along the margins of walks, ribbon lines 
can be formed of low-growing plants, such as the White 
Lobelia Snow-flake, or Gypsophilia, or Silver Leaved 
Alyssum for the front line, followed next by Tom 
Thumb Trapaeolum ; then, as a centre, or third line, 
Fuchsia, golden fleeced ; as a second marginal line on 
the other side. Bijou Zonale Geranium, white-leaved, 
with scarlet flowers, followed by a line of Blue Lobelia. 
Shaded stars have a fine effect on a lawn ; cut a star, and 
plant it either with Verbenas, Petunias, Phlox Drum- 
mondii, or Portulaca. The ends of the stars should be 
white, and shaded to the centre, which should be dark, 
each point having different colors, one shade of purple, 
one shade of pink, one shade of red, then shades of 
lilac, then shades of scarlet. The centre the darkest 
shades. There are many pretty ways of forming the 
beds of a small garden. We append one diagram of a 
garden, and the flowers to plant it with according to our 
taste. 



86 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

DIAGRAM. 

H 

C B 

FAD 

I E 

G 

A. Plant in the centre Scarlet Salvia, around that the 
white Centaurea Gymnocarpa, bordered by Blue Lobelia. 
(All these beds should have either a low border of box 
or turf.) 

B. Heliotrope, with Sweet-scented Geranium at each 
end. 

C. Verbenas, properly shaded. 

D. Dwarf Trapaeolum, Sweet Geranium at the points. 

E. Varieties of Phlox Drummondii. 

H. On the point of the shield Lemon Verbena, the 
remainder, Monthly Roses, border of Gypsophilia. 

L On the point, one Lemon Verbena, the rest to be 
filled with Monthly Carnations, bordered with Alyssum 
Variegatum. 

F. Varieties of Zonale Geraniums. 

G. Varieties of Fuchsias (if there is not too much 
sun). If so, plant Japan Lilies ; border both F and G 
beds with Double Feverfew. Perhaps a bed of roses, 



GARDENING, FLOWERS, 87 

arranged with standards in the centre, as we have de- 
scribed, might be prepared for the centre bed A, and the 
Salvia, &c., planted in the bed H, in place of the roses. 



4. — CAENATIONS. 

The cultivation of the Carnation is very simple. It 
is rooted from cuttings at any time from October to April, 
and as the plant is almost hardy, it may be planted in 
early spring with safety in the open ground. It is safe 
to put them out as soon as cabbage planfs are set out. 
Many from ignorance keep their Carnations in a pot or 
green-house until the last of May, thereby losing six 
weeks' growth. 

The Carnation cannot flourish in a wet soil, and care 
should be taken to secure good drainage. As the Car- 
nation grows, if winter flowering is desired, the young 
shoots that the plant throws out should be cut off* ; this 
induces a steady growth. There are many -fine varieties 
for summer growth, and but few suitable for winter flow- 
ering. 



5.— FUCHSIAS. 

These flowers are very easily cultivated from slips ; 
any amateur florist can make these slips grow, either by 
planting in wet sand, or in a bottle of water. Their 
lovely and graceful flowers add to every bouquet. They 
require rich light soil, such as decayed leaves and peat, 



88 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

moist atmosphere, and shade. Like the Lemon Verbena, 
the plants will keep all winter in a cellar. There are 
but few varieties that bloom well in winter. Bianca Mar- 
ginata, white, with crimson corolla. Speciosa, flesh-col- 
ored, with scarlet corolla (this variety will bloom the 
year round, if well cared for). Serratifolia, greenish 
sepals, with orange scarlet corolla. These are recom- 
mended for winter flowering by all florists. We will 
mention a few varieties for summer culture. 

Elm City, crimson, very double. Venus de Medicis, 
white, magenta corolla. Kose of Castille, sepals w^hite, 
corolla violet rose. Snowdrop, sepals bright scarlet, 
corolla white, semi-double. Striata Perfecta, double 
striped blue and crimson. Queen of Whites, double 
white corolla. Charming, violet corolla, crimson sepals, 
clusters immense. Lady of the Sea, corolla violet pur- 
ple, flowers two inches in diameter. 



6.— PANSIES. 

Who does not love a pansy? They are easily raised 
by seed and layers. The seeds should be planted in 
March for, summer culture, and in October for winter 
use. The pansy requires a rich soil. 

The finest bed of English pansies.we ^er saw were 
planted in the fall, in a bed of rich soil. Before the 
winter snows the plants were covered lightly with ma- 
nure and straw through the winter. In the spring the 
manure was carefully raked off, and the plants dug 
around with a garden fork. They bloomed early in 



GARDENING, FLOWERS. 89 

spring ; and, as we looked upon them by the morning 
light, their bright faces seemed to say '' Good morning ! " 
These lovely flowers look like happy children. 

Many persons in our country call the pansy, violet ; 
but the gardener only calls the sweet double blue and 
white violet by that name. And this sweet violet hides 
its head modestly under its leaves, and is the flower the 
poet speaks of, — 

** Meek and lowly, hiding 'neath its leaves of green." 

The bright-faced pansy does not hide its head ; it looks 
you in the face as fearless as a sinless child. These vio- 
lets are in great demand from their delicious perfume. 
These plants require shade and moisture. The best va- 
rieties are the ''double blue Neapolitan" Setsenbran, 
single blue, very prolific. King of Violets, very large 
blue. Double white Neapolitan ; this does not bloom 
freely. Sweet-scented Geraniums, Heliotrope, Lantanas, 
Lemon Verbena, &c., are all easily propagated from slips. 
The three first require often watering with guano water, 
and with this treatment will fully repay all care. 



7. — HOW TO PLANT HAEDY BULBS. 

October, or Ihe early part of November, is the time to 
plant bulbs for next year's flowering. Bulbs can be 
raised in any sunny place, no matter how small the bed 
may be ; they require less care, for the beauty of the 
flower, than any other class of plants. We will give 
some plain and simple directions, hoping our young read- 
ers may be induced to plant at least a few bulbs this fall. 



90 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. I 



*a 



The soil for bulbs should be rich and well drained ; it 

should also be dug deep. If water should lie on the sur- i 

face long the bulbs would rot. If the soil is poor, en- \ 

rich it with well-rotted stable manure, or with surface ] 

earth from the woods, or decayed leaves. Cow manure, \ 

of course, is the best. If the ground is stiff, and the j 
manure fresh, it is well to put a little sand around each 
bulb. If the soil has too much clay, mix sand with the 

manure. ! 

It is well to have your beds made so narrow that the 

weeds can be destroyed, and the ground kept mellow, ■ 

without walking among the plants. Before the heavy ! 

frosts of winter appear your bulb beds should be pro- \ 

tected with leaves. Over these throw a little brush, to i 

prevent the wind from uncovering your bulbs. If your j 

bulbs have been planted a year or two, cover them with ; 

manure in the fall ; the flowers in the spring will repay ; 

you for all expense and trouble. j 

Hyacinths and tulips should be planted about six \ 

inches apart, the hyacinth four inches deep, and the tulip j 

three inches. The early varieties will often blossom the i 
latter part of March. Crocuses blossom even earlier. 

They should be planted about three inches apart, and \ 

two inches deep. Snowdrops — -the first flower of spring 'i 
— should be planted in the same way as the crocus, or a 

little nearer together. Narcissuses, including the daffodil i 

and jonquil, should be planted in the same manner as the | 
hyacinth. All these bulbs can be planted in beds where 

you may desire to place either seedlings or any other j 
annual, which will blossom after these bulbs have done 
flowering. 



GARDENING, FLOWERS. 91 

It is best to take up all your bulbs every third year, 
when they are done flowering, and separate the newly- 
formed bulbs from the old. Keep them in a dry place 
till October, then replant as we have directed. 



8.— JAPAN LILIES. 

Of all the valuable flowers that have been imported 
from Japan or China, during the past twenty years, noth- 
ing equals the exquisitely beautiful Japan Lily — Lilium 
Lancifolium, No description can do anything like justice 
to these flowers, or show the beautiful, frost-like white 
of the surface, glistening like dew-drops ; or the rubies 
that stand out on the surface of one of the varieties, while 
the end of the leaf is shaded like the exquisite pink, or 
the inside of some sea-shells from India. 

There are nine varieties. The pure white and crim- 
son, Lancifolium Monstrosum rubrum ; the pure white 
Lancifolium Monstrosum album, and a delicate rose of 
the same variety ; then the dark crimson, Lilium Melpo- 
mene ; white, spotted with delicate salmon, Lilium Punc- 
tatum ; the pure white, with projecting glistening spots, 
called Lilium Lancifolium album ; Lilium Lancifolium 
rubrum, white ground, spotted with crimson ; Lilium 
Lancifolium roseum, shaded and spotted with rose ; and 
Lilium auratum. This is sometimes called Golden-banded 
Lily, and is truly the king of the lilies. The flower is 
ten to twelve inches across, composed of six delicate 
white ivory parts, each thickly studded with crimson 
spots, with a golden band through its centre. In addition 
19 



92 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

to the beauty of these lilies, they are fragrant, and as 
hardy as any of our common varieties. 

Strong bulbs send up flowering stems from three to five 
feet in height, and begin to bloom about the "middle of 
August. Each flowering stem will have from two to a 
dozen flowers, according to the strength of the bulb. 

Rich garden soil is all that is needed for these lilies. 
Plant them in October or early in November, about a 
foot apart, and five inches deep. The bulbs should re- 
main several years, if possible, without removal. These 
must be the lilies that surpassed Solomon in all his glory. 
Lilium Longiflorum is called very beautiful. The flow- 
ers are snow-white, trumpet-shaped flowers. Lilium 
Brownii, new variety, superb white. 



9. — CAPE BULBS. 

These are so called from coming from the Cape of 
Good Hope. The Gladiolus is the finest variety. These 
bulbs are easily cultivated in New England and the Mid- 
dle States ; they can be planted out as soon as all fear 
of frost is passed. They will bloom by the last of July, 
and by making successive plantings every two weeks to 
the middle of July, they can be had in perfection until 
the frost returns. Although they are not particular 
about soil, yet if choice can be had, a sandy loam, peat, 
or a soil of decomposed leaves, is better than a stiff' clay 
soil. 

In any soil, if it is well enriched, the flowers will in- 
crease in size and beauty. 



GARDENING, FLOWERS. 93 

These bulbs should be taken up as soon as the stems 
begin to wither in the fall ; but should the stalk of the 
late plantings be yet green, the bulbs should be left ad- 
hering to the stalk until dried, which will ripen off the 
bulbs. They can be kept in winter under the stage of a 
green-house, or in a frost-proof cellar or closet, or in 
any dry place where potatoes will keep. It is impossible 
to mention varieties ; all are good, and new varieties 
increase yearly. 



10. — HOW TO GROW BULBS IN WINTER. 

Bulbs can be grown in vases, bowls, dishes, cornu- 
copias, &c., of whatsoever shape or form, from the small 
©rnament that will hold a crocus, to the large family 
punch-bowl, capable of growing a dozen hyacinths. 
Wire or rustic work of any kind, lined or not with zinc, 
and filled with moss, will grow bulbs to perfection. A 
zinc frame can be made to fill the whole front of any 
window ; and if filled with moss or sand, and planted 
with hyacinths, lily of the valley, crocuses, snow-drops, 
tulips, narcissus, and polyanthus, would in itself form a 
complete miniature winter flower-garden. These, with 
successive plantings, may be made so many connecting 
links between our autumn flowers and the early spring 
blossoms. 

Take a common soup plate, place in it as many strong 
bulbs as it w^ill hold easily, and fill in about half an inch 
of water. In a few days the roots begin to spread, and 
so clasp each other in the course of a few weeks, that 



94 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

they form a natural support. If the bulbs and plate are 
covered with moss, it improves the appearance. For 
w^inter bloom successive plantings can be made every two 
weeks, from September till January. After the early 
part of December, hyacinths intended for glasses had 
better be half grown in pots, then turned out and the 
roots carefully freed from the soil in tepid water, then 
placed in glasses. In this way they will blossom sooner. 
The soil used to cultivate bulbs should be light and rich, 
full half sand. Bulbs can be grown in moss by keeping 
it damp. They can be raised even in clear sand. Take 
any ornamental dish capable of holding moisture, and 
fill it with sand in a pyramidal form. In the centre 
plant a hyacinth, and at equal distances round it plant 
three or more, according to the size of the dish ; fill up 
the space with crocuses, snow-drops, dwarf tulips, &c. 
In planting, the bulbs should be covered with sand, all 
but the tops. Then place the dish of bulbs in water ^yq 
minutes, in order to fix the bulbs firmly in their position. 
Repeat this bath once a week, never allowing the sand 
to become dry. Place it in the dark for two weeks, ttei;i 
keep it in a cool, light, airy room. 

There is no bulb so well adapted to house culture as 
the hyacinth. They grow easily in pots or glasses. 
They will grow in almost any light, sandy soil ; but just 
in proportion as this is adapted to the plant, will the per- 
fection of their culture be attained. 

For pot growing, the hyacinth, to attain its greatest 
beauty, should be grown in pots seven inches in diame- 
ter, and the same depth. They will grow and blossom 
in pots of four or five inches in diameter. Only one 



GARDENING, FLOWERS. 95 

bulb should be planted in a pot. Two or three can be 
grown in larger sized pots. Put over the hole in the 
bottom a good drainage, half an inch or more in depth, 
on this either a handful of leaf mould, very old cow 
manure, or the coarse part of the compost ; then add the 
prepared soil, filling up the pot to within an inch of the 
top. On this place the bulb, covering it with soil all but 
the top ; press the earth gently around it, and shake the 
pot slightly, to settle the soil, and finish with a good wa- 
tering ; then either plunge the pots three or four inches 
in some old hot-bed, and cover with leaves, or place 
them in the dark, covered carefully, but in a dry place, 
for several weeks, to allow the roots to make a vigorous 
start. Water them very slightly at first, then gradually 
inure them to the sunlight. As the flowers expand, place 
a saucer under each pot, which must be kept filled with 
water till the flowers begin to decay ; then lessen the 
water till withheld entirely. 

For planting in glasses, the last of October or early in 
November will do. Use only rain or spring water. Fill 
the glasses with water, and place the bulb so that the 
roots will just come in contact with it ; set them in a 
dark closet, or on a shelf in a dry cellar^ and let them 
remain till the roots have started, usually in three or 
four weeks ; then remove them to any place which is 
well lighted and warm, keeping them from the sun till 
they look a deep green ; turn them around now and then, 
and change the water once in three or four weeks. If 
you perceive the roots look slimy, and the water fetid, 
carefully remove the bulb, and place the roots in clear 
water of the same temperature ; wash the roots gently ; 
cleanse the glass before replacing the bulb. 



96 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 



11 — GARDEN INSECTS. 

In presenting this subject to our readers, it will be 
difficult to decide where to begin, or where to leave off. 
With the first warmth, aphides, or plant lice, in shoals 
and nations, show their unwelcome presence on our roses, 
geraniums, and almost all choice plants. Many of our 
choice fruit trees are infested with these pests of the gar- 
den. They are exceedingly prolific. Reaumur has 
proved that one of these insects, in five generations, may 
become the progenitor of nearly six thousand millions of 
descendants. They fasten themselves in crowds on a 
plant, and suck the life from it. Some live in the ground 
and infest the roots of plants, such as verbenas and China 
asters. We have often, on seeing a plant drooping, 
saved it by taking up the plant, root and all, and wash- 
ing it in strong soap suds ; replant it, after carefully 
scalding the earth, and digging it in. The plant .should 
be protected from the sun for a few days, until the roots 
start again. 

The best remedy for these plant lice is to syringe them 
with a solution of whale-oil soap, or a mixture of soap 
suds and tobacco water, used warm. Still another rem- 
edy is a solution of half an ounce of strong carbonate 
of ammonia in a quart of water. Where it is possible, 
dip the infected branches into either of the above solu- 
tioDS, holding them carefully in the solution several 
minutes. 

A drying east wind makes insects abound, and rain 
clears them away. 



GARDENING, FLOWERS. 97 

The rose-chafers, or rose-bugs appear about the second 
week in June, and remain thirty or forty days. They 
infest rose bushes and grape vines. They must be care- 
fully picked or brushed off into a basin of hot water, or 
burned, as they increase thirty fold, and destroy both 
fruit and flower. 

Caterpillars of many butterflies and moths are destruc- 
tive in a garden, and, when the perfect insects can be 
caught, before they lay their eggs, one death will save 
much killing. Whenever one is found resting quietly on 
a branch, stem, or leaf, with the wings folded, it is most 
likely a female about to lay her eggs, and it had better 
be killed. If a butterfly or moth is found so placed, 
dead, she will have laid her eggs ; be sure to find and 
destroy them. As the season advances, destroy every 
cbrysalis you find. 

Possibly some of our young readers have never seen a 
chrysalis, and may not know what it is. We will try 
and explain this to you. Every species of the butterfly, 
or moth, is first a grub or caterpillar, crawling upon, or 
in the earth. These caterpillars, when they have com- 
pleted the feeding stage, retire to some place of conceal- 
ment, under a leaf, beneath palings, or in interstices of 
walls, spin a tuft of silky fibre, and entangle the hooks 
of their hindmost feet in it. Then they form a loop, to 
sustain the fore part of the body in a horizontal or verti- 
cal position. Then they spin a band over the back ; and 
most caterpillars form a cocoon, in the shape of the let- 
pi ter U, around the body. Then they cast off the cater- 
*, pillar skin, and become a chrysalis. In summer the 
chrysalis state lasts from eleven to fifteen days.' Later 



98 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

it lasts all winter (while in this state these insects 
remain dormant). At the proper time the chrysalis 
bursts open, and a butterfly issues from it. We have 
often found these cocoons, or chrysalides, and taken 
them to our rooms to watch the coming forth of the 
butterfly. 

Hose slug (Lelandin Kosee), a light green, translucent 
little fellow, varying from one sixteenth of an inch to 
nearly an inch in length. There are evidently two 
species or varieties, one of which confines its ravages to 
the lower side of the leaf, the other eats it entire. The 
first is by far the most destructive here. In a few days 
after the plants are attacked they appear as if they had 
been burned. 

The only remedy we have found is a preventive one, 
which, in fact, ought to be used against all insect life. 
We have spoken of this (and will not repeat) io our 
rose chapter. The only remedy, whale-oil soap, is pre- 
pared by florists by dissolving one pound to eight gallons 
of water. They apply it ten days in succession, with a 
garden engine or syringe. This must be done very early 
in the morning, or late at night, as the slug shuns the 
light of day, and hides under the leaf. With very young, 
delicate roses, the solution is too powerful ; hand work 
will be necessary to pick them ofl*. English sparrows, a 
comparatively late importation, should be kindly treated 
by all, as they are the best exterminators of injurious 
insects. The ground, or blue aphis, and verbena mite, 
are among our most subtle and dangerous of pests. 
They work at the root, and often before we can see the 
plant fading, they have taken its life. The florist's rem- 



GARDENING, FLOWERS. 99 

edy is as soon as you see the least sign of drooping in 
your Asters or Verbenas, the plants most afflicted by 
them, water them copiously and persistently at the 
roots, with tobacco water, the color of strong tea, and 
apply it daily for one week. We often take up the plants 
and wash the roots, but it is a harsh remedy : it will kill 
or cure. 



12. — SOME USEFUL HINTS. 

We have, in studying different books on horticulture, 
found many opposing sentiments. Some seemed like 
hearsay to all former experience, yet we ought to be 
ready to receive all advice based upon positive experi- 
ence. We intend acting upon some new theories of 
Peter Henderson, a famous gardener near New York. 
We have always supposed it very injurious to take water 
directly from a cold spring to water plants, and that rain 
water or soft water must be used, at the same tempera- 
ture as the air in which the plants are growing. He says 
it is a foolish dogma, as the water will take the same 
temperature before the plant can be injured. Of course 
if the plant was to stand in cold water it would injure it. 
This will save much extra trouble ; we ourselves shall 
profit by his advice, as he ought to know, having faith- 
fully tried the experiment. 

We have always supposed it necessary for the health of 
a potted plant to have a sufficient amount of bits of 
oyster shell, &c., at the bottom for drainage. 

Mr. Henderson says, for fifteen years he has grown all 



100 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

his thrifty plants ivithout the use of crock, charcoal, or 
any other substitute, and he considers it useless trouble-; 
he thinks the moisture escapes freely from the sides of 
the pot. He says when we wish to resuscitate an un- 
healthy plant, we wash the soil from its roots, arid put 
in a neto pot, where the drainage is perfect from the 
sides. He has grown millions of healthy plants without 
draining. He thinks old pots, whose pores are all filled, 
often cause the death of a plant. He approves of fre- 
quent change of pots, as it injures a plant for the roots 
to become hard and woody. In most cases the slightest 
tap on the edge of the pot is sufficient to turn out the 
ball of earth. Be careful and not take too large a pot ; 
the size must increase gradually. 

Mr. Henderson thinks it is not unhealthy to sleep with 
plants in the room, as we have always been taught. He 
says it is a common practice for gardeners to sleep in 
their green-house, and to be with their plants often at 
night, and yet, as a class, they are vigorous men. He 
himself, for three winters, slept on the floor of the hot- 
house, without any injury, and that was more than a 
score of years ago. 

Plants can easily be sent by mail, by first washing the 
roots in water, then take them dripping and wrap them 
in dry moss, then roll around them several thicknesses 
of thick brown paper ; the whole must be tightly rolled, 
to prevent the dry air penetrating to shrivel the plant. 
In this way plants can be sent even two thousand miles 
at a cheap rate, as our postal laws only charge two cents 
for four ounces, unles the package exceeds four pounds. 



GARDENING, FLOWERS. 101 



13. — MOSS BASKETS. 

Take a piece of the spring used in hoop-skirts, or a 
rattan, and make a small hoop about eight inches in 
diameter. Collect from the woods a quantity of the 
long, feathery moss, and wind a heavy wreath of this 
moss on a hoop, then cover a piece of the rattan or hoop- 
spring, sufficiently long for the handle, with moss, and 
fasten it to the hoop. Then take a solid bunch of this 
moss, the size of the centre of the hoop, and push inside 
of this moss-covered hoop ; this forms a moss basket. 
Take a common plate, and place this basket upon it, and 
sprinkle it thoroughly with water. This basket can be 
filled again and again with bright flowers, casting away 
the flowers as they wither. The wet moss will keep 
them fresh as long as if placed in a vase filled with 
water. Now and then place this basket in a dish of 
water, and sprinkle it, or let the rain fall upon it. This 
will freshen the green tint of the moss. 

Baskets covered with the knitted moss, which in our 
work department we have given the directions how to 
prepare, are very pretty. A tin dish should be made to 
fit it, and painted green ; keep this filled with natural 
flowers, or French artificial flowers, which imitate nature 
perfectly, can be arranged in them, and if placed on a 
bracket, or in some place where they will not be likely to 
be examined too closely, they will easily pass for fresh 
flowers. 

To form a pyramid of flowers, take three, four, or flv© 
wooden bowls, according to the size you wish for your 



102 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

pyramid ; let them be a regular gradation in size ; pro- 
cure some round pieces of wood, like ribbon blocks, 
graded in size, glue the tallest into the centre of the 
largest bowl so that it will stand upright, and up on 
top of that glue the bowl next in size, and so on to the 
smallest bowl. Varnish the inside several coats ; paiot 
the outsides green, and cover with moss ; some have a 
stand made, and glued to the bottom of the largest bowl. 
When filled with flowers it is a lovely sight. Baskets 
made of tin and painted green, then covered with moss, 
make the prettiest hanging baskets possible. Tin rings, 
large enough to surround vases placed inside, and made 
to hold water, with little wires across the top and painted 
green, when filled with flowers, form the prettiest mats 
in the world ; the wires keep the flowers in place. I 
saw one filled with only rosebuds, blue forget-me-nots, 
and geranium leaves. It is an improvement to cover 
the outside with moss. Crosses made in the same way 
are very beautiful, and are appropriate to place on the 
grave of any beloved friend. In that way flowers can be 
preserved a long time, if there is a sufiicient supply of 
water to preserve them. 

There are innumerable ways of arranging flowers. 
The poorest person can aflbrd to purchase a tin basin, 
and with a little common paste and moss, which can be 
found in all country places, a pretty dish for flowers is 
soon made. Shells make lovely vases. The large shells 
sailors polish so exquisitely to resemble mother of pearl, 
make elegant hanging vases ; bore holes on each side and 
hang them with strong cords. 

The month of September is not too late to make a fine 



GARDENING, FLOWERS. 103 

collection of mosses from mountains and valleys. Mosses 
will have attained by this time a luxurious growth. 
There are but few mosses that look well after being 
pressed. Tiie best way to preserve a collection of mosses 
is to arrange them in some suitable box, as they grow, 
and in the order you desire to keep them, and let them 
dry slowly. If you wish to cover any box, basket, or 
vase, it is better to paste them on, before they are 
entirely dry, with common paste. The dry white and 
gray mosses form very beautiful receptacles for flowers, 
by covering the outside of any rustic basket with the 
moss. Thread wire will fasten it firmly to any basket, 
or rustic work. Paste or wire can be used to fasten it 
on to boxes or bowls. 

We have seen a lovely rustic stand for flowers, formed 
from a common wooden box (a large bowl is the more 
desirable). The handle was formed from a barrel hoop. 
The legs of the stand were made of gnarled branches of 
trees. Then fine annealed wire was wound over the 
whole. This served to hold the moss firmly to the box. 
The beautiful curled white, gray, and green dry mosses 
were then arranged all over the box, legs, and handle, so 
as to give grace and beauty to this inexpensive stand. 
This box was then filled with rich loam, and planted with 
purple, white, and pink Maurandia, and variegated 
Myrtle. These vines twined over the handle, and fes- 
tooned the sides of the box. Lobelias, Fuchsias, Nie- 
rembergias, white and scarlet monthly Pinks, silver- 
leaved Geranium, and King of the Scarlets, also one 
white monthly Rose in the centre, filled the box with 
bright flowers all summer. This inexpensive flower-^ 



104 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

stand was constructed by a boy during his school vaca- 
tion, and it formed a beautiful centre ornament to his 
mother's front yard. In the winter the good mother had 
her boy's work carefully removed and placed in her bay 
window. There it blossomed, and spoke cheering words 
to her of her absent darling, as she sat day by day, dur- 
ing the cold winter months, sewing by its side. 



14. — HANGING BASKETS. 

Hanging baskets are now in such universal use, that 
the taste for them has extended to every town or village 
in our land. All florists keep a supply of baskets, with 
flowers planted and growing, ready for sale. These bas- 
kets are quite expensive. We will give directions for 
some equally pretty, but inexpensive, which any ingenious 
boy or girl can make. 

Take a small wooden bowl, bore holes in the sides to 
fasten in a cord, or screw in rings. Cover this with 
cones, acorns, black beans, &c., in fact, any pretty seed 
can be used to good efl'ect ; arrange them in diflerent 
forms, like flowers. Varnish with asphaltum varnish. 
A cocoanut shell makes a pretty small basket. Either 
of the above are pretty with the white and green dry 
moss glued over the outside. Baskets can be made of 
sticks of the oak or maple tree, choosing those of 
the size of a man's thumb, and cutting them of equal 
lengths, eight, ten, or twelve inches, according to the 
size of the basket desired. Then build your basket like 
a log hut ; interlace your fingers, and you will see the 



GARDENING, FLOWERS. 105 

design. Nail these sticks firmly in place, fasten in a 
wooden bottom. Heat a wire and thrust it through the 
end of each stick, and bend it into a loop ; suspend it by- 
cords fastened to these loops. This makes a durable 
basket to hang out of doors ; any boy of twelve could 
make it. 

Rustic baskets can be made with or without a wooden 
frame, but a wooden bowl is a good foundation ; procure 
from the woods a quantity of blasted branches, or other 
crooked, rough, or knotty twigs. Soak them in hot water 
or steam them, so as to make them pliable. Stain the 
bowl with asphaltum or black varnish, then screw in 
rings for the hanging cords to pass through. When the 
varnish is dry, bend around the outside of the bowl one 
of the twigs or blasted branches, and nail it securely at 
the top edges on either side. Twine several pieces around 
in this way, according to your taste, until the whole sur- 
face is covered ; finish by nailing one around the rim of 
the basket for a border. Varnish the branches like the 
bowl. The entire basket is then ready for use. All 
kinds of shaped baskets can be made out of wire, paint- 
ing them green, and filling in moss in all the crevices ; a 
painted tin dish, placed in for the dirt, will surely prevent 
any drip ; thick moss is ordinarily sufficient. All kinds 
of these baskets should be filled up with light, sandy 
loam ; a few bits of charcoal, and a piece of sponge in 
the bottom, assist in keeping the soil moist. Light, 
trailing vines should be trained to fall over the sides, 
and lopp in and out of rustic work. We will give a 
short list of vines suitable for baskets. 



106 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 



Lobelia Erinus Paxtoni, an exquisite blue. i 

White and pink Gypsophila. ] 

Panicum Variegatum. ; 

Tropaeolum, ball of fire. ! 
Convolvulus Mauritanicus. 

Variegated Myrtle. i 

Geranium Peltatum Elegans. j 

Nierembergia. ] 

Linaria Cymbalaria. \ 

All varieties of Maurandia Barclayaiia. J 

German Ivy. \ 

Alyssum Variegatum. ; 

Vinea Elegantissima Aurea. \ 

Moneywort. \ 

PLANTS FOR THE CENTRE. 

Centaurea Gymnocarpa. 

Alternanthera. | 

Sedum Sieboldii. ] 

Bijou Zonale. 1 

Achyronthes Gilsoni. ' 

Mrs. Pollock, &c. j 

These baskets should be exposed to the sun at least ] 
two or three hours daily, and in dry weather watered ; 
freely. If the surface of the basket between the plants ' 
is covered with moss, it will prevent the earth from dry- [ 

ing as soon, and the basket will look neater. j 

Baskets of moss and wire can be every week dipped ! 

into a pail of water. A 



GARDENING, FLOWERS. 107 



15. — ARTIFICIAL ROCKERIES. 

A WELL-FORMED and flourishing rockery is an orna- 
ment to every lawn. 

Petrified wood forms very beautiful rockeries, but as 
our purpose is to assist our young friends to make their 
own rockeries, we will leave the more elaborate to the 
gardener. 

Save all the clinkers from your furnace coal, dip them 
in a hot lime wash to color them pure white, their fan- 
tastic shapes are thus more conspicuous ; arrange them 
in a mound according to your fancy ; leave at suitable 
distances cavities of six or eight inches deep, to be filled 
with soil ; in this plant your creeping plants ; bright 
colors should be selected for a white rockery. Dwarf 
Scarlet Tropaeolum, Scarlet Verbenas, Petunias, Golden 
Moneywort, Lobelias, Scarlet Geraniums, Myrtles, 
Coleus, German Ivy, &c., are used to good effect on this 
rock work. Hydraulic cement instead of lime will 
make a pretty drab color. If the rockery is protected 
by some shade, it looks well to plant it with Ferns and 
Lycopodiums. 



16. — FERNERIES. 

Is it not, friends, very pleasant to have a bit of the 
summer w^oods in our parlors in midwinter? Such a 
pleasure is within the reach of us all, with but little 
trouble and expense. Those who live in cities, and can- 
not go into the country, surely must have some friend 
20 



108 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

who can supply them, or the materials can be obtained at 
any public green-house. First you require a glass dome^ 
or what is still better, take five panes of glass, any size 
you please, four to form the sides, one for the top ; 
fasten the glass together with a light wooden frame, then 
take any tin dish, like a baking pan, or if round, a tin 
plate or jelly cake pan, or a tin dish can be made to fit 
it for a trifling sum of money ; paint the tin green on the 
outside. Then collect some pieces of broken flower pots, 
or still better, bits of marble, granite, or any stone, and 
scatter them around the tin dish, placing in the centre 
some moss-grown stump or stick, and pile the stones 
around it ; then collect from the woods ferns, mosses, 
partridge vines, with its bright red berries (indeed any 
plant will grow in these ferneries which can be found in 
moist places in the woods) ; take up a little of the leaf 
mould in which they grow (they need but little soil), 
arrange your plants, spreading the roots carefully over 
the stones, scattering a little leaf mould on them, and 
place your mosses around the whole. The tallest plants 
should form the centre, but in arranging even ferneries, 
it is more agreeable to exercise your own taste. Before 
placing your globe or glass frame over your fernery, 
sprinkle the plants thoroughly, then cover with the glass, 
and let it remain a few days in the shade. You can 
keep them where you please, but they grow better near a 
window ; be very careful not to water them too often ; 
once a month is generally sufficient ; if too wet, they 
will mould and die ; when there is but little moisture on 
the glass, it is well to raise the glass to ascertain if it is 
dry. Our fernery has been made four years ; it has 



GARDENING, FLOWERS. 109 

required but little care ; now and then we add a new 
fern, some moss, or any suitable plant gathered from the 
woods, and remove any dried ferns or leaves. It often 
renews itself. Trailing Arbutus and partridge vines will 
blossom in ferneries. It is always pleasant to the eye, 
and no care after the first expense and trouble. Ivy and 
Ly copodium grow well in ferneries, but the rare ferns, 
&c., from green-houses do not flourish as well as those 
plants taken from our native woods. 



17. — IVIES. 

English Ivies are a great ornament to our rooms, and 
are hardy, and require very little care. After the first 
two years they grow quite rapidly, therefore it is well to 
procure two-year old plants ; train them on your cur- 
tains, over your windows and pictures. Many make a 
mistake by changing the pots very often, thinking they 
require a very large pot, which is not so, for they do not 
require as much earth as many plants, only keep them 
moist, and have rich loam for the soil ; it is w^ell to wa- 
ter them every month with guano water, prepared accord- 
ing to the same rule given for flowers. The Poet's Ivy 
is very pretty, the leaf being quite small. The most 
beautiful ivy we ever saw was one that never was re- 
moved from its place, summer or winter ; it filled a large 
bay window, encircled the whole room, and wound 
around many pictures ; now and then a gardener came 
and changed the soil, and the leaves were occasionally 
washed. 



110 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 



18. — PRESSED FLOWERS. 

To press flowers, to be arranged on paper like a 
painting, you must take some plain white wrapping 
paper (in Paris you can obtain paper prepared by a 
chemical process to preserve the colors), and place your 
flowers or leaves carefully between two sheets of the 
paper. Then press them by placing a heavy weight over 
them (letter presses are excellent), and leave them a day 
or two, then change the paper ; thus the juices of the 
flowers are absorbed. It takes a week or two to press 
perfectly, and in summer often longer. When dry, place, 
them in a book or some air-tight box, ready for use. A 
year is required to make a varied and handsome collec- 
tion, as each flower has its own season for blossoming. 
Wild flowers retain their colors better than cultivated ; 
but experience alone will teach you what flowers will re- 
tain their color best. Many pretend to be able to pre- 
serve all kinds of flowers, but it is impossible. I will 
give a list of flowers which are known to retain their 
color by this mode of pressing. 

All Geraniums (except the horse-shoe and sweet- 
scented) preserve their color. They are very essential, 
as their colors are brilliant and keep for years. All 
yellow flowers, both wild and cultivated, retain their 
color. The Violet and Pansy, Dwarf Blue Convolvulus, 
Blue Larkspur, Blue Myrtle, Blue Lobelia, Heaths, the 
small original Red Fuchsia, Wild Housatonia, and many 
tiny blue, and even white flowers press perfectly. 

For green, Ivy, Maiden JIair, Ferns or Brake, Mosses, 



GARDENING, FLOWERS. Ill 

&c., retain their color best. Karely a cultivated green 
leaf presses well. Autumn leaves, if small, and the 
youngest oak leaves, mix in well. Certain kinds of stems, 
such as Pansy, and others of similar character, are best 
adapted for pressing. 

After your collection is made, take some card-board, 
without a polish if possible, and arrange your flowers as 
you design to have them. Gum them to the paper with 
tragacanth, using a camel's hair brush, then press on 
the paper and flower with a cloth, carefully absorbing all 
moisture, as well as firmly pressing the flower on the 
paper. Geraniums and some large flowers look better 
if each leaf is glued on separately. 

In forming your bouquet, it is better to arrange the 
stems first and work upwards. Baskets and vases of 
moss with flowers are pretty. To form these you must 
trace out with a pencil your vase or basket, and glue on 
the moss. Then arrange your flowers. 

We have heard amusing criticisms on the coloring of 
such bouquets fsom persons who mistook them for 
paintings. Framed and covered with a glass, they make 
ornamental pictures. 

It is a pleasant way of preserving mementos of 
friends, places, or events. Flower albums or journals 
are very beautiful. Wreaths arranged of different vari- 
eties of Pelargoniums, mixed in with any pretty green, 
and other little flowers, such as Lobelias, are very hand- 
some, and the colors are durable. Pansies of different 
shades look well, and brilliant wreaths may be made of 
all the varieties of flowers that hold their color. The 
oval shape looks the best for wreaths. 



112 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

There are innumerable varieties of Ferns, Lyeopo- 
diums, and Maiden Hair, both native and foreign, suita- 
ble for pressing. By pasting each specimen on a sepa- 
rate sheet, and interspersing specimens of our beautiful 
autumn leaves, also on separate sheets, and fastening 
them together, either bound as a book, or in a portfolio, 
you will possess a beautiful and attractive book with but 
little expense. 

Crosses can be arranged with Ferns, and shaded to 
appear as if painted in perspective, and look like a cross 
standing on a mossy bank, with flowers, &c., growing 
around and over it. First draw and shade your cross, 
as a guide, then take the small leaflets of the darkest 
colored ferns you can procure, and glue them on carefully 
where the cross should be in shadow darkest, then take 
the brighter green Ferns (such as are gathered in 
spring), and end with the white Ferns (which can only 
be obtained in the fall), using them for the lightest 
shade ; be careful to cover every part, and shade it with 
Nature's colors as you would with paint. In a cross six 
inches high, and suitably proportioned, full two hundred 
of the tiny leaflets of the Fern may be used to good ad- 
vantage before it is completed. Then take wild Lycopo- 
dium, if you can obtain it, if not, the finest of the culti- 
vated, and arrange it on your cross to look like a vine 
growing over and hanging from it ; also paste on to it 
tiny little pressed Lobelias, and arrange small Ferns, 
mosses, and any little flowers (wild ones are preferable) 
around the base of the cross, to look like a mossy bank. 
Different designs can be arranged in the same way. 

Be very careful in pasting on flowers and leaves, that 



I 



GARDENING, FLOWERS. 113 



every part, however small, is firmly fixed to the paper ; 
press them on after pasting with a dry cloth. 

September is the time to collect the beautiful white 
ferns ; the first slight frost turns the green fern white. 
They should then be gathered at once, and carefully 
pressed ; when dry they resemble the skeleton leaves. A 
vase of these forms a beautiful winter ornament. If you 
defer gathering them till the heavy frosts come, they turn 
brown. ' 



19. — STRAWBERRIES. 

A FEW hints as regards the cultivation of strawberries 
may be useful to both boys and girls ; for fine berries 
can be raised even on a small plot of ground, if the 
soil be rich. Plants for a new bed should be set out 
early in the spring ; the roots will then grow strong, and 
the plants will be better able to bear the cold of winter. 
Some gardeners prefer to plant their strawberry roots in 
August, or even late in the autumn, and if the winter is 
mild, or deep snows cover the ground, the vines will live 
and bear fruit the next summer. Some prefer to raise 
strawberries in hills, but the most prolific vines are those 
planted in beds about three feet wide, with a path be- 
tween, filled with straw, to keep the fruit from the 
ground ; it is well to cut ofi* most of the runners. Of 
course the beds should be kept free from weeds. There 
are many new varieties, but the old Hovey's Seedling 
is as reliable as any, and very prolific. The Russell is 
easily propagated ; vines planted in April will often yield 



114 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

fine strawberries in June. The Wilson is a profitable 
strawberry for the market because of its large yield, but 
it is hardly equal in flavor to the Hovey. 

The Hovey will soon run out if planted by itself; it 
requires some other kind to be planted with it. The Pine 
is usually the variety selected for that purpose. It is 
useless to enumerate the several varieties, for nearly 
every locality has its favorite strawberry. Some kinds 
will scarcely bear a perfect berry in some locations, 
while in a different locality the same plant will be loaded 
with perfect fruit. Sometimes a healthy and vigorous- 
looking bed of strawberry plants will produce but few 
berries ; then you must examine the blossoms, those 
which bear fruit will have the berry formed in the flow- 
er, while others will blossom freely, but do not bear 
fruit ; these are the male plants, and it is better to leave 
but few of them in your strawberry beds. When you 
plant the new roots, dig a hole with a trowel and fill it ' 
with water, then spread out the roots and pack the earth 
close around them ; but when they are fully rooted, and 
commence to grow, the earth should be kept loose around 
them. 

Strawberry plants should be replanted every third year ; 
it is best to change the location of the bed if possible, or 
at least to renew the soil. Boys or girls who raise and 
gather from their own little garden a dish of strawber- 
ries, will find great pleasure in presenting it to their 
friends as fruits of their own labor. 



GARDENING, FLOWERS. 115 



20. — GRAPES. 

The care of the grape vine is a pleasant occupation. 
To gather the rich, ripe bunches of its delicious fruit 
is a grand enjoyment. Almost every one can com- 
mand a spot of ground sufficient for the liberal support 
of a grape vine. It may be planted in any unappro- 
priated corner about the house — a sunny spot is to be 
preferred ; but a vine may do well w^ith but little direct 
sunshine, if it is well sheltered and properly cared for. 
It may be planted at the foot of a tree, the branches of 
which are not near the ground, and it will find its way 
high up the tree, and will yield large crops of fine fruit, 
hidden among its own thick foliage and that of the tree, 
provided the ground immediately about its roots can be 
reached and kept warm by the sun's rays. 

As it grows, it will endeavor to adapt itself to the cir- 
cumstances that surround it, and will take the direction 
your taste or convenience require it to follow. Its flexi- 
ble branches are obedient to the gentle hand of the care- 
ful cultivator. You may train it upon stakes six or eight 
feet high, or upon a low trellis where the fruit will be 
within easy reach of your hand. You may have the 
fruit within a few inches of the ground, or by removing 
all the lower branches of the vine, you can cause the ripe 
bunches to hang in graceful festoons around and over the 
window of your chamber, high above the reach of acci- 
dent and pilferers. The grape vine will do as it is bid, 
which is much more than can be said of some young peo- 
ple, whose eyes sparkle at the sight of its fruit. 



116 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

In preparing the ground in which to plant the vine, 
reference must be had to the character of the soil. If 
the soil is clayey and cold, or if the neighboring surface 
is such as to turn an undue proportion of the rains upon 
the place where you propose to plant your vine, care must 
be taken to secure for the roots of the vine a sufficient 
drainage. If the roots of the vine are surrounded by 
wet and cold earth, the fruit will mature slowly, and will 
be endangered by the early frosts. You will secure a 
sufficient drainage by digging a hole three feet deep and 
five or six feet in diameter, and throwing into it small 
stones, fragments of bricks, or other like rubbish, to the 
depth of about eighteen inches, and filling to the sur- 
face with the soil. If the soil in which you propose to 
plant your vine is light, no artificial drainage will be 
necessary. 

Dig over the ground, and mix with it some well-rotted 
manure or bone dust to the depth of your spade. The 
plan of trenching and deep manuring is of questionable 
advantage. The roots of the vine prefer to run near the 
surface, but they will seek the rich soil wherever it may 
be ; and if they are drawn away from the surface of tlie 
ground and out of their natural direction to the colder 
soil below, the efiect upon the fruit may be unfavorable, 
both as to quality and quantity. 

In the ground thus prepared, set your young vine from 
the nursery. First, drive down a stake to which you can 
tie the young vine, then place the roots of the vine three 
inches below the surface of the ground, carefully spread- 
ing the roots so that they will be as nearly as possible in 
the position in which they grew in the nursery. 



GARDENING, FLOWERS. 117 

The beautiful operations of nature will then Gommence. 
The roots of the vine will at once begin to adapt them- 
selves to their new home, and their delicate fibres will 
firmly clasp the particles of the well-prepared soil ; the 
warm days of the early spring will draw the sap up 
through the whole length of the vine ; the buds will 
open and exhibit their delicate tints, new shoots and 
broad green leaves will follow, and you can soon eat the 
fruit of your own labor, sitting beneath the shadow of 
your own vine. 



21. — HOW TO ARRANGE SEA-MOSSES. 

While our young friends are enjoying the pleasures 
of the sea-shore, there is no more delightful employment 
than gathering and preserving the beautiful flowers of 
the sea. 

September is the time to collect the finest varieties of 
sea-mosses. Before you commence to arrange them, 
procure two pieces of deal board, about twenty inches 
long and twelve inches wide ; some light-brown paper, 
and blotting paper, and white drawing paper. You will 
need camel' s-hair pencils, long, slender darning-needles 
(or common needles mounted on lucifer matches), a small 
piece of alum, and old cotton or linen cloth. 

The best time for collecting the mosses is in the early 
morning, when, on your return, there is leisure for im- 
mediately laying them out. If you leave them until the 
next day, the chances are that one half of them will be 
spoiled. Do not collect many mosses at one time ; for 



118 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

these flowers of tlie sea fade, and even decompose very- 
fast, when roughly handled or carelessly gathered. If 
you cannot arrange them at once, put them either in an 
oil-skin bag, or a tin can, with sea-w^ater. When you 
are ready to arrange them, take your drawing paper and 
cut it into large and small squares, or any size you de- 
sire. Get some soup plates, or any shallow dish ; fill 
wdth fresh water ; place a small piece of alum in each 
dish. Now have your camel's-hair pencils and darniug- 
needles, or needles mounted on matches, by your side. 
Then float a piece of sea-moss in fresh water. If very 
dirty or sandy, wash it first in clear water. Float it on 
a piece of paper, which must be placed under it with the 
left hand, while with your right hand you arrange the plant 
in a natural manner, using your camel's-hair pencils and 
needles. Superabundant branches can be thinned out 
with small, sharp-pointed scissors. "When the specimen 
is placed as you like it, cautiously raise the paper, that 
the position of the plant be not altered, and let it rest 
somewhere with sloping inclination, that the moisture 
may run off*, while other specimens are treated in the 
same way. Do not leave them long thus, for they must 
be pressed before the paper is dry. In drying them, you 
must lay either old soft linen or cotton over them, to 
prevent its sticking to the upper paper when pressing ; 
as, in order to press it, you must first lay them in blot- 
ting paper, and then in brown, and place them, thus 
prepared, between your boards, and strap the two boards 
tightly together. The blotting paper and old cloth must 
be changed at least twice in drying large sea-weed. The 
second day place a heavy pressure on the boards used in 
pressing. 



GARDENING, FLOWERS. 119 

Sea-mOsses are glutinous, and must be dried, and not 
pressed ; and, when finished and dry, then moisten the 
under side of the paper, and press it gently. Others 
will not adhere to paper, and therefore, when dry, should 
be brushed over with a little isinglass, dissolved in gin, 
laid on warm ; and they will then be fixed closely to the 
drawing paper. 

Another preparation is one ounce of oil of turpentine, 
in which some gum mastic, the size of a nutmeg, has 
been dissolved. This gives a gloss to the. specimen, and 
helps to preserve the color. 

The finest and rarest specimens are found in the lowest 
tide pool, or cast up after a storm. 

We have seen these sea-mosses, or sea-weeds, exquis- 
itely arranged, representing flower painting. 

Take the pink and green sea-weed, and with practice, 
moss-rose buds can be perfectly represented, also other 
flowers. Be careful and select fine-grained, at the same 
time strong paper. 

Every lover of nature should always possess a micro- 
scope. Examine with it many tiny specimens, con- 
demned as too small to arrange in your album ; it will 
reveal to you such form and color, provision and har- 
mony, as the Almighty Creator conceals from the unsee- 
ing eye, and reveals to patient and intelligent search. 



120 



AMERICAN HOME BOOK, 



ioM M)i lome %xk 



1. — KNITTING. 

Plain knitting is but little noticed since knitting ma- 
chines were invented. At present crochet work has taken 
its place, and fancy tatting. It will not be necessary for 
us to give any especial directions for these kinds of work, 
as nearly all our magazines give new directions in every 
number. But both crochet and tatting require eyesight. 
If a child is taught in early youth to knit well, all com- 
mon knitting can be done without eyesight. We can 
think better if our hands are employed on plain knitting. 
If our eyes haVe been overtasked, and cannot bear the 
light, we can knit in tlie dark. We always keep some 
common knitting, such as strips for a blanket, or stock- 
ings for the poor, on hand ; and it is astonishing the 
amount of work accomplished in this way, as we can 
knit, if a neighbor calls, for it does not prevent our con- 
versing freely, also we can knit and read. 

We earnestly advise our young readers to learn to 
knit. Many persons in the present era are afflicted with 
weak eyes, and dislike to be idle ; the knowledge of knit- 
ting would be a pleasure, also of netting, as that requires 
less eyesight than other branches of work. We will 



HOUSE AND HOME ARTS. 121 

give the directions for knitting a few fancy articles, also 
the directions for knitting a common stocking, so that 
our young girls can knit substantial stockings for the 
poor. During the last war, when our young ladies were 
called upon to knit stockings, how few knew how ! So 
many, who earnestly desiring to do their part, were 
obliged to learn the rudiments of knitting ! 



2. — HOW TO KNIT A STOCKING. 

First select four smooth steel needles of a size suit- 
able for the woollen or cotton yarn you intend to use. 
If you cannot tell yourself, the person of whom you 
purchase your yarn can select suitable needles. Your 
stitches should be cast on with double yarn. Knitting 
them on is preferable ; first form a loop on one needle, 
then by knitting that loop with another needle, the re- 
quired stitches can be formed. Some persons prefer a 
little elastic roll at the top ; this is formed by knitting 
eight or ten rows round plain, then turn directly back 
and knit on the wrong side a few times. 

But the most common mode is purl every two stitches. 
This is done by knitting two stitches and purling two. 
It is well to continue this for a gentleman's stocking or 
a boy's all the way to the heel, as they cling better to 
the leg, or purl two and knit two for a half a finger, 
then knit a finger and a half plain, and end the leg part 
by purling two and two again at the ankle for an inch. 
If the stocking is for a lady, after knitting four or ^\e 
inches from the top (the first inch being purled every 



122 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

two stitches), the narrowing should be commenced. In 
plain knitting, one needle is called the seam needle, for 
the centre stitch should be purled, and one must be taken 
to purl that same stitch the whole length of the leg. j 
The narrowing of the leg should be done on each side of J 
the seam stitch. Then knit five or six rows before nar- | 
rowing again. The leg should be narrowed thus seven J 
or eight times to form a good shaped leg. | 

No rules for length, or the number of stitches to § 
be cast on a needle, can be given, as nearly every per- { 
son differs in size. The only sure way is to measure by | 
some old stocking. The heel must contain just half the | 
stitches in the whole stocking. Take-off the stitches, for \ 
the heel, on to one needle. A long heel makes a better ' 
shaped stocking than a short one. When nearly done, ; 
narrow five or six times on each side of the purl ; for, in | 
taking off the stiches for the heel, the purl stitch must \ 
be in the centre of the heel needle. The heel is knit j 
backwards and forwards like a garter, only it is purled | 
all across on the wrong side. The narrowing must all be ! 
done on the plain knitting side. Some persons knit the \ 
heel with double yarn ; others, on the purling side, slip i 
a stitch and knit a stitch all across, and the next time ; 
the purling side is knit, slip the stitch you knit before, j 
This makes a strong heel, almost equal to running a heel | 
after it- is knit. To bind off the heel, you must place j 
half the stitches on one needle and half on another, then ^ 
place them side by side, and knit two stitches together 
with a third needle, slip the first stitch knit with the third ^ 
needle over the second stitch all across, never leaving i 
but one stitch on the needle. Some finish the heel dif- J 



HOUSE AND HOME ARTS. 123 

ferently ; they take just half the stitches of the heel in the 
middle of the needle, leaving a quarter on one side and a 
quarter on the other, and only knit the middle, but each 
time take up one stitch from the side, and narrow it with 
•^one on the middle, until all the stitches on the side are 
gone. 

The foot is formed by taking up the loops on each side 
of the heel (these loops are formed in knitting the heel, 
by always slipping the first stitch, as in a garter). In 
knitting round the first time, it is necessary to widen on 
the heel every third stitch, by taking up an additional 
loop. It should then be narrowed on the corner of the 
side needles, by narrowing two together of the four last 
stitches on the first needle, then on the other side needle 
knit two plain, slip a stitch and knit a stitch, and put the 
slipped stitch over the knitted stitch, until the foot is 
small enough. After the first few times around, it shapes 
the instep better to narrow, then knit around without 
slip|)ing and binding. The next time knit past the nar- 
rowing side plain, and slip and bind, therefore the size is 
only lessened one stitch every row, forming a long gore. 
The toe is formed by narrowing at the beginning and 
end of each needle ; first knit two plain and narrow, then 
leave four at the end of the needle, narrow the first two, 
and knit the other two plain ; before narrowing, see that 
the stitches on each needle number the same. Knit 
around three times plain, then narrow as directed. Knit 
three plain rounds between the narrowing three times. 
Then knit twice around plain, three times between the 
narrowing ; then once, then narrow every time till there 
are only four stitches ; break off your yarn, leaving suf- 
21 



124 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

ficient to draw through the four stitches, and with a darn- 
ing needle fasten it strong. 

Another way to narrow a toe off, is to narrow every 
seven stitches when you begin the toe ; knit seven times 
around, and narrow every six stitches ; knit six rows and | 
narrow every five stitches ; knit five rows and narrow 
every four ^titches, so on to the end. 



3.— BABYVS KNITTED JACKET. 

Cast on two hundred stitches on good sized steel 
needles, knit quarter stitch eleven purls, that is twenty- 
two times across ; then, with colored split worsted, knit 
three purls, then narrow every time, putting the wors- 
ted twice over the needle each time to make holes ; knit 
three purls, then commence with the white worsted ; knit 
fourteen purls ; divide the stitches into three parts, fifty 
on each side, one hundred in the middle. Commence 
with the middle, knit twenty-two purls, then narrow 
each side of the needle every other time, making twenty- 
two purls, bind off. Knit the fronts the same way, 
narrowing only on one side. 

SLEEVES. 

Cast on sixty-five stitches, knit thirty-six purls, nar- 
rowing each side of the needle every eighth purl ; knit 
three purls with color, make holes, then three more 
purls, bind off fifty-four stitches, then sew up the shoul- 
ders, take up the stitches round the neck, knit the same 
with the colored worsted, as the border on the sleeves, 



i 



HOUSE AND HOME ARTS. 125 

take up stitches down each side of the front, knit the 
same border, onlj have one purl before making the holes, 
then knit two purls. 

BORDER. 

Cast on eighteen stitches, and knit the same as border 
for blanket, making seven holes instead of four. Split 
worsted is preferable. 



4. — BABY'S BLANKET. 

Commence with thirty stitches on a needle, and knit 
Brioche stitch. Knit till you can count twenty-four 
loops, then change the color (the stitch to be knit, is 
slip a stitch, put thread in front and narrow, all across, 
on both sides the same). You must always join the 
color on the same side, and have a colored square in 
each corner of your blanket. Knit seven squares in each 
strip, and seven strips form the inside of the blanket. 



5. — BORDER TO BLANKET. 

Cast on ten stitches, knit two plain, put your worsted 
in front and narrow all the rest, but knit the last stitch 
plain ; that is, put your thread in front and narrow two 
together, till there are two left ; then put your thread in 
front and knit one stitch ; then the last one plain ; knit 
back plain ; then knit three stitches, and the same as be- 
fore, only add a stitch every other time across, till you 
Lave nineteen stitches ; then knit twice plain, and knit 



126 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

eight, and narrow ; then put your thread in front and! 
narrow four times ; knit last stitch plain always, knit 
back always plain ; decrease one every other time till you 
have ten, then knit a plain row to join your other color. 
All the scallops are knit the same, and it needs thirty- 
two blocks of edging to go round the blanket. The 
colored point of each corner must be gathered up to the 
point close, thus making the white come on each side of 
the colored square. 

It takes eight ounces of common zephyr worsted, four 
ounces of each color. 

This enlarged, makes very handsome carriage blankets, 
with a palm leaf worked in each square ; but instead of I 
a knitted border, it is better to tie in a heavy fringe of | 
worsted. , I 



6. — KNITTED BED-QUILTS. \ 

This requires a whole box of the red and white Sax- j 

ony yarn. ! 

This should be knit with the finest ivory needles, j 

Cast on forty stitches. Knit the stripes garter stitch ; ; 

that is, knit backwards and forwards plain knitting, slip- \ 

ping always the first stitch on the needle. Knitting it I 

thus, it makes every other time across look like purling, j 

The stripes must be four hundred purls in length ; it i 

needs eleven stripes, red and white alternately. These ! 

stripes must be sewed together, and the ends finished off , 

with a fringe, or knit a border. The directions given for j 

the border to the first baby's blanket, knit it broader by i 

knitting six or seven stitches plain before you widen or i 
narrow to make holes. 

^ 

. j 



HOUSE AND HOME ARTS. 127 

A " couvre-pied " can be knit in the same manner, 
only knit the stripes three hundred and ten purls in 
length. 



7. — BABY'S BLANKET. 

A BEAUTIFUL blanket can be knit Avith stripes, alter* 
nating pink and white. Knit plain garter stitch, each 
stripe a yard long ; the white stripes should be the nar- 
rowest, eighteen stitches for the white and twenty-two 
for the pink. When finished, then work in the white 
stripes, a pink rose-bud and a green leaf, as small as 
possible, then sew all together, making the blanket a 
square yard. 

BORDER. 

Cast on sixteen stitches. 

First row. Knit three, turn over twice, purl two to- 
gether, knit two, turn over twice, knit two together, turn 
over twice, knit two together, knit five. 

Second roiv. Knit seven, purl one, knit two, purl 
one, knit two, turn over twice, purl two together, knit 
three. 

Third row. Knit three, turn over twice, purl two to- 
gether, knit thirteen. 

Fourth row. Knit thirteen, turn over twice, purl two 
together, knit three. 

Fifth row. Knit three, turn over twice, purl two to- 
gether, knit two, turn over twice, knit two together, turn 
over twice, knit two together, turn over twice, knit two 
together, knit five. 

Sixth row. Knit seven, purl one, knit two, purl one, 



128 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

knit three, purl one, knit two, turn over twice, purl two 
together, knit three. 

Seventh row. Knit three, turn over twice, purl two 
together, knit six, turn. 

Eighth row. Cast off five, knit ten, turn over twice, 
purl two together, knit three. 



8. — SOFA CUSHION. 

Cast by knitting sixteen stitches, knit plain four rows 
like a garter, knit eight stitches, turn and purl four, knit- 
ting heel stitch (that is, plain in front, and purl on the 
back side), ten times on the four stitches. Then slip the 
four stitches from the needle while you take up the next 
four, then return them again and knit the remaining four, 
turn and knit twelve stitches, then take up the last loop 
on the roll, and narrow it off with the first stitch of the 
last four, then knit the last three plain. Then knit four 
rows plain (which makes three rows of purling on the 
right side between each roll). Now commence another 
roll, same as before. It takes seven ounces of tapestry 
worsted, or double zephyr, one ounce to a stripe. Be 
careful and select colors that will harmonize together. 



9. — TABLE MATS. 

Table mats, made of coarse white tidy yarn — with 
the plain crochet stitch and a scallop border — are easily 
worked, and do not strain the eyes 



HOUSE AND HOME ARTS. 129 

10. — CARRIAGE OR BED-ROOM MAT. 

A VERY pretty carriage or bed-room mat may be made 
in knitting. Collect as much flannel list, or flannel and 
woollen cloth as you can ; cut it into short lengths, and 
knit a few rows, for a foundation, in twine. Then take 
a piece of list, put it across the string, and knit it in 
tightly ; knit the pieces of list in this way all across ; 
then knit a row plain ; then knit in a row with the list. 
If you knit an edge of scarlet flannel, say six rows first, 
and six stitches at the beginning and end of each row, of 
pieces of the scarlet, and six rows of scarlet at the end- 
ing, your mat will be improved, particularly if the centre 
is knit entirely of gray list, as the gray and scarlet are 
very effective. When completed, line it with a nice 
coarse brown cloth. Pretty mats can be knit entirely of 
old pieces of cloth of any kind, by cutting it in narrow 
strips and sewing each strip together ; knit it with large 
needles either in strips or squares, and sew them firmly 
together ; take your pieces at odd times and strip them 
up, and as you sew them together, roll them into balls 
ready for knitting, then arrange your colors to harmonize 
together. 



11. — KNITTED MOSS. 

Cast on about fifty stitches of light green Berlin wool ; 
slip a stitch on your needle Avithout knitting, and knit 
the next row. Continue the same until you have finished 
two skeins of wool, taking care never to knit the first 
stitch of each line. Then knit on it, in the same manner, 



130 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

two skeins of the next shade darker of color, and continue 
in the same manner until you have knitted up five shades 
of green ; join on a rich brown, and a faded moss-colored 
wool, and then cast off. Wet your knitting through with 
clear water, then dry it over a furnace register, or cover 
it with a paper or cloth, and press it with a hot iron. 
Let it remain for a few hours untouched, then unfasten 
the last stitch, and pull it out. It will unravel easily, 
from the first stitch of each row not having been knitted, 
and you will have a good curling imitation of moss to 
sew on to baskets or for borders of mats. 



12.— PLAIN NEEDLE-WORK, AND USEFUL 
HINTS FOR YOUNG LADIES. 

Our young ladies formerly were educated thoroughly 
in needle-work. Plain sewing was taught in the primary 
schools ; but, alas ! these times seem past ; it is rare to 
find a little girl of even ten years old who can hem a 
pocket-handkerchief well. The children of our mechan- 
ics grow up with but little knowledge of useful work. 
Their mothers, with mistaken love, mend, dress, and 
make their wearing apparel. Often they marry wholly 
ignorant of the accomplishments necessary for a true 
wife and helpmeet — that is, the knowledge of house- 
keeping, plain sewing, and cutting out the simplest gar- 
ment. 

Who is to blame for this ? The excuse of many a 
hard-working mother is, " I have not had time to teach 
my daughters ; " and of our ladies of wealth, '^ I did not 



HOUSE AND H03IE ARTS. 131 

suppose my daughters would ever be poor, or require 
such knowledge ! " 

It is a very great pity sewing is not taught in our 
common schools. It is quite as important to our girls 
as reading, writing, spelling, &c. There is no country 
in the Avorld where a practical education is so necessary 
as in ours, the fluctuations of fortune are so great. The 
rich man of to-day may be the poor man of to-morrow. 
Therefore every boy and girl in the land should have a 
useful and practical education. Our girls especially, rich 
or poor, need a knowledge of practical housekeeping ; it 
is not possible for any lady to be a good housekeeper un- 
less she knows how things should be done herself, as a 
trained servant in our free country is rarely found. 

Plain sewing is also very important to be learned in 
early youth. In these days of machinery much of the 
old plain work is done by the swift needle of the sewing 
machine, rather than by hand ; and it is expected, by 
and by, that hemming, stitching, over-hand work, and 
gathering will be as much forgotten as the old tambour 
stitch and embroidery of our ancestors. But we main- 
tain that a person to work well on a machine should 
first be taught to sew well, and it is quite possible work 
may be required when no machine is to be hired. If 
young ladies are always able to hire their sewing, it may 
be pleasant to work for the poor. We hope our young 
readers may be induced, of their own desire, to become 
good sempstresses. If any one reading this book is in- 
duced to obtain practical knowledge on the subject, we 
shall feel repaid, and we would gladly hear from them. 
We will now give a few directions as an assistance, at 



132 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

the same time begging our young readers to remember 
that one lesson from a good sempstress is worth a dozen 
pages of print. 

A hem should be, generally, narrow and very even ; 
if it is to be wide, cut a measure the desired width, and 
be careful to have it exact ; the stitches should be taken 
through, but so small as to be nearly invisible. A hem 
on clear muslin will look neater if it is finely run like 
the seam of a dress. 

In over-hand sewing the stitches should be taken on the 
edge of the two sides, and should lay quite close to each 
other, so as to look like purling. 

In stitching you should only take up two threads, both 
behind and before the needle. 

Gathering is done on the needle, two threads taken up 
and four left, and the line should be kept very straight by 
a thread, if possible. The gathers, when finished, are 
drawn very tightly together on the thread, and stroked 
down smoothly with a strong needle or pin. 

Darning is done by taking every other thread (in a 
stocking) , and leaving a long loop at the end of each line. 
The darn is crossed by taking every other thread alter- 
nately, each way. It used to be called " weaving." If 
muslin is to be darned, it is better to use ravellings of 
the same instead of thread. 

Should you have a rent in a dress to repair, use ravel- 
lings of the same material ; they are easily to be obtained 
from the turning in of the top of the skirt, if you have no 
pieces ; but generally some are left by the dressmaker, 
and should be kept for such accidents. In mending by 
piecing, be careful that you do it very neatly ; match 



HOUSE AND HOME ARTS. 133 

stripes or patterns on the material artfully, and you will 
have the triumph of preventing the defacement of your 
dress. 

Learn how to make and trim a bonnet, or make a 
graceful bow of ribbon. Young ladies of small means, 
who are ingenious and tasteful, often present a better 
appearance by making things for themselves, than those 
who, without taste or neatness, spend large sums at the 
milliners'. We advise you to try and make your own 
dresses. 

In order to do this, rip up an old dress that fits you ; 
lay the several portions of the body on a large sheet of 
brown paper, with the turnings turned in ; trace the pat- 
tern carefully with a black pencil ; then draw a line 
round the whole, including the turnings-in, and cut it 
out. Pin this pattern on your material, and cut out the 
dress, taking care that you do not get two fronts for the 
same side, if there is a right and wrong surface to it. 
To prevent the possibility of this mistake, it is well to 
fold the material and cut both at once. The same may 
be said with regard to the side bodies. Greater skill is 
required to put the skirt into a band, than in making a 
body, in order that it may hang gracefully ; but as 
fashions change continually, we can only advise you to 
get a good pattern to copy from, and care and 'patience 
will insure you success. If your means render it unneces- 
sary or not expedient for you to make your own dresses, 
you will find it pleasant to be able to make up the cotton 
dress you destine for some poor neighbor, whose want of 
time for needle-work will render her as much obliged for 
the lahor bestowed, as for the material itself. Making 
clothes for poor children is active charity. 



134 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

We know of a young lady so naturally industrious, 
that at the age of six years, she made entirely every part 
of a day shirt for her father. It is not as likely, at the 
present day, that your labors will be required for shirt- 
making for your male relatives ; they generally prefer 
buying their linen ready made. Every vjoman ought to 
know how to put one together. 

Any child or young lady who can make a shirt well, 
can easily manufacture all female undergarments ; patterns 
for cutting out will be all that will be required. Both 
cotton and linen cloth should be scalded in soap-suds^ dried 
and' pressed without rinsing, before you work on them, in 
order to render them soft enough for the needle to pass 
through easily. But should you be unable to have this 
done, rub the parts you are going to sew or hem with a 
cake of white soap, or make a strong suds and brush the 
parts. Your needle will move easily, and will run no 
risk of breaking. 

We advise young ladies who have the care of their 
own linen, and perhaps have their own allowance for 
dress, to take a few hours on one fixed day, weekly, to 
look over their clothes, and make any small repairs that 
may be wanted. They will find the truth of the old 
adage, — ''A stitch in time saves nine," — and will make 
their linen last as long again as it would otherwise do. 
Gloves should be neatly mended, and no rip suffered to 
remain a day. White and light-colored gloves can be 
nicely cleaned by rubbing them with a flannel dipped in 
milk and white hard soap. When dry they will need to 
be pulled till they are soft and in shape. 

Cultivate, we beseech of you, habits of neatness in 



HOUSE AND HOME ARTS. 135 

early youth. Dresses should never be put away dirty, 
or with spots that can be removed, or thrown down in a 
heap. Benzine or chloroform will remove nearly all 
kinds of spots, but it must be quickly rubbed dry, or it 
will leave a spot. Wax spots from candles can be re- 
moved from any material by placing over the spot some 
brown or blotting paper, and place over it an iron suf- 
ficiently hot to melt the grease ; change the paper until 
all the grease is thus absorbed. 

Our young readers may be assured that the little care 
bestowed on keeping their garments neat, clean, and 
whole, will give to their appearance that air of freshness 
which in itself is a charm, and will prove the truest 
economy. Moreover, the power of using the needle 
skilfully will give good manipulation for other and more 
artistic employments, and can never be aught but a bless- 
ing to the American girl. 



13.— EMBROIDERY IN SPANGLES AND CAN- 

NETILLE. 

Bullion, which is a large gold wire, of which officers' 
epaulets are made, frisure^ a smaller bullion, clan- 
quanta which is a flat gold ribbon, are all classed under 
the denomination of cannetille. Leaf-shaped spangles 
are called laine. 

Stretch the velvet, cloth, or silk which you intend to 
embroider in a frame, and tack over it your pattern, 
which must be nicely drawn on silver paper. Suppose 
your pattern is a wreath of grape-vine leaves and grapes ; 



136 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

you must put bullioa on for the centre stem. This is done 
by running a needle and thread through the tube, and fas- 
tening it with an occasional (strongly sewn) stitch or two. 
Take the smaller bullion, or frisure, for the outlines of the 
leaves and tendrils, fastening it on in the same manner 
as the large bullion ; vein the leaves with fine gold thread. 
Make your grapes of large spangles, and purple or 
green glass beads, thus : Pass your needle through the 
velvet from underneath, take a spangle on it, then take a 
purple bead ; pass your needle again through the spangle 
and back through the velvet. Then begin another grape 
in the same way, and fasten carefully off when your silk 
is used up. A wreath of grapes and holly (the holly 
berries red beads) round the edge of a table cover would 
look very nice. The cover should be of dark cloth, and 
edged with gold cord all around. 



14. — EMBROIDERY IN LAME OF VELVET 
AND GOLD. 

Fix your material in a frame. Tack over it your 
pattern drawn on silver paper, or sketch it lightly on the 
surface of the cloth or silk. 

Work your stems and tendrils in frisure, your berries 
or little flowers in spangles. 

You can purchase stamped velvet leaves, which you 
must fasten with strong gum to your velvet or silk, and 
then keep them firm by veining them with gold thread. 

Petals of flowers may be cut out of colored velvet, 
and arranged on the cloth or velvet, if the young needle- 
woman has sufficient taste to form a flower. 



HOUSE AND HOME ARTS. 137 

The work may be done entirely of cachemire and 
gold on cloth, if a more expensive material is beyond 
the worker's means. 



15.— E]ViBROIDERY IN FEATHERS. 

Stretch your material for the ground on a frame. 
Cover the back or under side of your feathers with thin 
gum, to keep the tiny plumage together, and let them 
dry. Take a sharp pair of scissors, and cut the feathers 
into the shape of the petals you require ; lay them sepa- 
rately on your pattern, and tack them firmly on the silk 
or cloth with sewing silk of the same color. Work 
stems, tendrils, and centres with silk of the color re- 
quired. Of course you must arrange your petals or 
leaves according to your pattern. 

Any white feathers dyed are suitable for this work. 



16. — CORK WORK. 

Very beautiful articles can be made by ingenious boys 
and girls, from cork bark. Those of our readers who 
have only seen cork work in the shape of common bottle 
corks, will not be attracted by the title of this chapter. 
But all who have seen, either at home or abroad, the 
exquisite models of castles, old ruins, churches, and 
many other picturesque objects, made entirely from this 
material, will welcome a few simple directions for this 
work. 



138 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

We will first speak of the cork bark, as it may not be 
generally known that cork is not indigenous, but is the \ 
soft, elastic bark of a species of oak tree, that grows 
abundantly in the northern part of France, Spain, and 
Italy. When the tree is fifteen years old the barking is 
commenced, and is repeated at intervals ^of eight years, 
the bark improving with every operation. The cork is 
stripped from the tree in July and August ; it is then 
piled up in water under heavy stones, to flatten it, after | 
which it is fire dried, and packed in bales for exportation, j 
The cork cutters divide the sheets of cork in narrow strips, j 
and after cutting them the proper length, round them with i 
a thin, sharp-bladed knife into a cylindrical form. The I 
cork tree and uses of its bark were known to the \ 
Greeks and E-omans. ] 

Cork bark can be obtained at any of the numerous \ 
cork factories ; it is not expensive, and the refuse bark j 
can be used in making many pretty models. j 

The beginner should select the simplest subjects for ; 
his first work, such as a rustic cottage, bridge, or simple ; 
ruins. j 

When a certain amount of proficiency has been at- ; 
tained, it will be easy to advance to higher themes, until \ 
the most elaborate designs may be attempted without j 
fear of failure. j 

In this art, models or pictures, with some description j 
of the proportions, are sufiicient guides. i 

In this work no tools are required except a sharp pen- | 
knife and a glue-pot. | 

The walls of buildings must be cut from the cork 
block. The proper thickness for the cork used in mak- ■ 



^ HOUSE AND HOME ARTS. 139 

ing walls is about one half, or even one quarter of an 
'inch, and the smoothest cork should always be selected 
for this work. 

When the required size has been obtained, square it 
smoothly to the shape called for, making the two side walls 
exactly alike. Next mark with a black lead pencil the 
shapes of the windows, doors, &c. Then cut the win- 
dows with a penknife, making the opening smaller on 
the inner side, but slanting outwardly, especially in the 
sill the slope is very considerable, and in gothic windows 
should never be flat or square. The waste and refuse 
pieces of common cork will all be of use in making the 
trimmings and ornamental work. For the mouldings 
. around the windows, cut small rims of cork, like your 
model, and glue them on at proper distances from the 
outer edges. Thin sheets of mica glued on the inside 
of the windows, are excellent substitutes for glass ; the 
appearance of stained glass can be given by gumming 
paper of the color you desire to represent, on the inside, 
over the mica. All ornaments can be formed of tiny 
shavings of cork. The gables, doors, &c., are prepared 
as the model may require. The most suitable base, on 
which to glue your building, is a board covered with 
green cloth or baize. The four walls can now be glued 
together and placed on the green cloth board. If not 
firm, small splints of wood, shaved so as to fit into the in- 
ner corners, will strengthen the edifice. The roof comes 
next, and can be made of smooth seasoned wood, about 
a sixteenth of an inch thick. 

Cut the board large enough to extend w^ell over the 
edges, so as to form eaves ; glue one side firmly along 
22 

I 



140 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

IBS 

the gable ends, theu fit the peak of the other side. A 
roof with a high pitch adds much to the tasteful appear- 



ance of a rustic church. If there is to be a steeple, or 
spire, the tower, or base of the building should be formed 
of small pieces, cut so as to fit the slopes of the roof, 
and built as a mason joins bricks or square blocks in a 
wall. When the base is formed square and flat on top, 
the tapering spire should start from this foundation, with 
a round, or eight-sided piece of cork, whose four oppo- ij 
site sides are exactly the size of the square base on 
which it is to be glued ; on this place another cork a 
trifle smaller ; this in turn will be covered with another 
still less ; so on until it tapers to a point. 

Common bottle corks, of various sizes, are best to use 
for spires and columns. 

The best way to make spires or columns, is to glue 
them in proper shape separately from the building ; when 
all are joined, shave them carefully, so as to form the 
proper slope for the spire, and the columns can be cut 
with a knife to imitate fluted sides, or in any desirable j 
way. When they are finished, glue them in the proper - 
place on your buildings. \ 

The outside ornaments, such as a cross or vane for \ 
the point of the spire, the caps of the columns, the but- 
tresses, eaves, moulding around the doors, porches over the 
entrance, cornices, &c., may now be added. The roof < 
may be colored with a little vandyke brown or burned J 
umber, mixed either in turpentine or oil ; a single coat /^ 
will be sufficient, and if a rough appearance is desired, , 
dust some fine sand over it before the paint is dry. j 

If you glue moss on to the base board, it adds to the J 



HOUSE AND HOME ARTS. 141 

natural appearance of the building. If you design to 
represent a ruin, or Gothic church, a little green moss, 
neatly gummed on to represent ivy and other creeping 
vines, is an improvement. Time adds grace to all 
ruins, by its moss and vines, planted by divine Provi- 
dence. 

Landscapes, in the picture style, are often designed with 
cork ; the finest shavings of cork can be used to cut 
into shapes to represent a castle, a light-house with rocks 
near by, a bridge, or whatever else may be selected to 
form the design. Some idea of perspective drawing will 
be necessary in this work ; the object should be arranged 
and fastened with gum arable on to a piece of white 
card-board, and the sky slightly tinted in water-colors 
for a back ground. Irregular edges increase the resem- 
blance to distant hills, and sharp edges of thicker cork 
represent the objects in the foreground. 

There is no attempt to imitate nature in the variety of 
color, for the picture wears the sombre shade of cork, 
but the general effect is pleasing ; the light background, 
seen through the thin shavings of cork, give a good idea 
of brown autumnal forests. 

Crosses to train ivy on can be made of cork. 

We trust our readers will be induced to try this cork 
work. It is often difficult to know what to make for 
fairs or for Christmas presents. This work in our 
country is rarely seen, and it would sell well, or prove a 
pretty present, if neatly done ; but, like all things worth 
doing, it requires time, practice, and patience to insure 
perfect success. 



142 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 



17.— BLACK LANDSCAPE. 

Pass a card, or a piece of card-board, through the 
smoke of a candle till it is quite black. 

Then take a penknife and scratch upon it any land- 
scape or design you please. 

Moonlight scenery is very effective in this way. la 
case of lack of pencils, &c., this is not a bad way of 
sketching a scene one desires to remember. 



18. — VEGETABLE FLOWERS. 

Boys and girls who live in the country will find it a 
pleasant winter evening pastime to make a bouquet of 
vegetable flowers. 

First gather from the woods laurel leaves and other 
evergreens. Then by the exercise of taste, ingenuity, 
and a skilful use of the penknife, really beautiful bou- 
quets can be compiled of these flowers, with the addition 
of sprigs of evergreen. White turnips, yellow turnips, 
beets, carrots, pumpkins, and portions of cabbages, can 
be used for the flowers. 

Take a white turnip, neatly peeled, notched exactly 
down in leaf shape all round. Then fasten to a stem 
whittled from wood. Surround it with green leaves, and 
behold either an exquisite white camellia or a rose ! 
Moss rose buds can be made by cutting turnips or beets 
into the proper shape, and placing real moss around 
them. Red roses, camellias, or dahlias can be made in 



r 



HOUSE AND HOME ARTS. 143 



the same way from beets. Yellow flowers from carrots 
and pumpkins. White or red flowers from white and 
red cabbages. 

Beautify your houses, however poor or humble your 
lot ; a bare, comfortless room does not excite home love. 



19. — ORNAMENTAL SEED WORK. 

We have seen exhibited at agricultural fairs some 
really beautiful frames and boxes ornamented with com- 
mon garden seeds. 

If our boys and girls will begin early in the summer, 
and collect every variety of seed possible, such as all 
kinds of beans, corn, melons, &c., they will have abun- 
dant material for this kind of ornamental work in the 
winter. 

Every seed of size sufficient for handling should be 
saved ; even small polished black or yellow seeds, like 
poppy seed, can be preserved to scatter over the ground- 
work. Dry all the seeds carefully, and place them in 
boxes ready for use. This work can be applied with 
^3xcellent effect in ornamenting boxes, picture frames, 
hanging baskets, book racks, flower stands, small tables, 
brackets, &c. Get the frame of wood, of any article you 
intend to ornament with seed work ; stain the wood with 
walnut staining materials, or varnish with asphaltura 
varnish. It is not desirable to have a high polish on the 
surface intended to be ornamented, as the glue will not 
adhere to a very smooth substance. Keep your wood- 
work in some dry place, until you are ready to glue oq 
the seeds. 



144 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

When you have a leisure day or evening, place your 
frame of woodTbefore you, and the boxes of seeds around 
it. When your glue is hot, spread a little over a small 
space with a brush, and arrange your seeds in the form 
of some flower or other figure. 

It is difficult to give explicit rules for the work. It is 
best for each person to exercise his or her taste and 
ingenuity in arranging the designs. As the work pro- 
ceeds, an endless variety of shapes and styles of designs 
will suggest themselves. 

An accurate resemblance to nature is not easily attain- 
able in this kind of work. 

When all the ornamental work is arranged, the small 
spaces left uncovered should be brushed over with a thin 
coat of varnish, and sprinkled with any small seeds. 
Black seeds are very desirable, as they form a good 
ground-work, and aiFord a proper relief to the designs. 
When the glue has become hard, apply to the whole 
work an even coat of copal varnish. If this is not suffi- 
cient, apply another coat ; it is needed, as some seeds 
absorb more than others. 



20.— HOW TO IMPRESS LEAVES ON 
VELVET. 

This work is very easy and very pretty, requiring 
only great nicety and care, and some taste. Take a 
piece of white cotton velvet (such as undertakers use as 
a lining to burial caskets), white jean, or white linen, 
or fine, thin muslin ; cut it out in the form of a tidy. 



HOUSE AND HOME ARTS. 145 

mat, or whatever you wish to make. Then pin upon it 
carefully, with very minute pins. Ferns, Maiden's Hair, 
or any graceful leaf, in the form of a wreath or 
bouquet. 

Mix plenty of India ink the depth of color you re- 
quire ; take a fine comb and brush ; dip the brush in the 
ink and pass it over the comb, thus splashing the ink all 
over your material until it is quite black. Let it dry 
thoroughly, and then unpin your flower ; you will find its 
form left in white on the velvet or linen. Mark, with a 
fine brush, the veins and stems in it, and your work will 
be ready to make up as required. 

All delicate leaves should be carefully pressed till dry 
before using them for this work. 



21.— PAPER PILLOW. 

Save all your scraps of writing paper, old notes of no 
use, old envelopes, old backs of notes, &c. Take a bag 
or some box to throw them in, instead of the fire or rag- 
bag, where they are usually placed. When a number 
has been collected, cut them into strips about half an inch 
wide or narrower, and two inches long ; curl them wet 
by drawing them over the blade of an old penknife. 

Make a pillow case of any material you have ; fill it 
with your curled paper ; mix with it a few shreds of old 
flannel. 

Stuff* it quite full-^ sew the end up, and cover it as you 
please. These pillows are invaluable in case of fevers, 
as they keep cool, and are cheap and good substitutes 



146 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

for feather pillows. If these pillows are not required 
for home use, our young ladies could make them lor 
our hospitals, or the poor. 



22. — IMITATION CARVED IVORY. 

Take half an ounce of isinglass, boiled gently in half 
a pint of water, till dissolved ; then strain it, and add 
flake white, finely powdered, till it is as white as cream. 

Take any article you desire to look like ivory, such as 
a wooden box, stand, or card-case. 

Give the article three or four coats of this solution, 
letting each dry before the other is laid on ; then smooth 
it carefully with a bit of damp rag. 

When the composition is perfectly dry, you can put on 
the imitation carved ivory figures, which are made as 
follows : Boil half a pound of best rice in one quart of 
water, till the grains are soft enough to bruise into 
a paste ; when cold mix it with starch powder till you 
make it as stiff as dough ; roll it out about as thick as a 
shilling. Cut it into pieces two inches square, and let it 
dry before a moderate fire. These cakes will keep inauy 
months, and be fit for use, if kept dry and free from j 
dust. 

When required for use, get a coarse cloth, make it - 
thoroughly wet, then squeeze out the water and put it on ^ 
a large dish four times dou.ble ; place the rice cakes in ''. 
rows between this damp cloth, and when sufficiently soft 
to knead into the consistency of new bread, make 
a small lump ; if too wet, mix with it more starch 



it iuto j 
1 pow- I 

I 



HOUSE AND HOIVIE ARTS. 147 

der, but it must be sufficiently kneaded to lose all appear- 
ance of this powder before ycu take the impression ; to do 
which-, you must procure some gutta percha half an inch 
thick, cut it into pieces about two inches square, and 
soften it in hot water ; then get any real carved ivory 
you can, and take off the impression on your pieces of 
gutta percha, by pressing it carefully upon the carved 
ivory till a deep impression is taken. 

When the moulds afe quite dry and hard, and your 
paste in a proper state, with a earners hair brush lightly 
touch with sweet oil the inside of the mould you are go- 
ing to use, and then press the rice paste into it ; if the 
impression is quite correct on removing it, take a thin, 
sharp, small dinner knife and cut the paste smoothly, 
just so as to leave all the impression perfect ; then with 
a' sharp-pointed penknife smooth off all the rough edges, 
and with white cement place your figures on the box in 
large or small figures, just as your taste directs ; the 
figures adhere better if put on before they are quite dry. 

Sometimes, from frequent kneading, the paste gets 
discolored ; these pieces should be set aside and used 
separately, as they can be painted in water colors to 
resemble tortoise shell or carved oak ; this should be 
done after being fastened to the box. 

Having completed your work, finish by varnishing it 
very carefully with ivory varnish, which should be al- 
most colorless. 

This design so nearly resembles carved ivory, that it 
has been mistaken for it when nicely done, and it is very 
strong if carefully cemented. 

Cover boxes simply with the flake white solution, and 



148 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

then paint on them in water colors representations of 
flowers, varnishing when dry with colorless varnish. 
Such boxes are very easily made. 

From the readiness with which the material can be 
obtained, this is an elegant amusement for all who are 
of an ingenious disposition. 



23. — DIAPHANIE, OR STAINED GLASS. 

This simple, but really beautiful invention, can easily 
be acquired by carefully reading the following directions, 
and by practice, the effect of gorgeous stained glass can 
be given to common window glass, with moderate ex- 
pense. The materials required are plates of clear glass, 
free from specks or bubbles, designs, groundings, and 
borderings which are printed expressly for the purpose, 
and in transparent colors ; a roller which is employed to 
press the paper closely on the glass, so as to remove the 
bubbles of air ; transfer varnish, to fasten the prints 
upon the glass ; clearing liquid, which is used after the 
paper has been removed, to render the work transparent 
and brilliant ; the washable varnish, which protects the 
designs from damps, and renders them capable of being 
cleaned ; and three camel's hair brushes to apply the 
varnish, &c. There are three hundred sheets of designs 
published for this work, consisting of subjects, border- 
ings, and groundings. 

A window generally consists of parts of several sheets, 
as it should contain a medallion or subject, a border, and 
the whole of the remaining space filled up with grounding 



HOUSE AND HOME ARTS. 149 

paper. Among some of the best subjects, we may men- 
tion " The Virgin and Child." " The four Evangelists 
with architectural niches." " The Adoration of the Magi, 
with architectural borders." " St. Peter and St. Paul." 
" The Annunciation." " St. John the Baptist." ^' St. 
Joseph." " Mater Admirabilis." " Adoration of the 
Magi." ''Boar hunt." " Deer reposing." '• Two ma- 
rine views." '' The Laborer's Return." " Winter scenes," 
&c. For these suitable groundings and borderings must 
be selected according to the taste of the worker, who 
must, however, remember that the beauty of the work 
depends upon perfect harmony in coloring and design. 

The materials being all collected, thoroughly cleanse 
and dry your sheet of glass, and lay it flat upon a folded 
cloth. Then cut out the medallion, or subject (unless 
the paper is to be applied in one piece), and fasten it to 
the glass by thoroughly damping it on the wrong side 
with a wet sponge, giving it a plentiful coating of transfer 
varnish on the printed side, laying it face downwards 
upon the glass, and firmly pressing it down with the 
roller, commencing at the centre, and gradually passing 
over the edges. 

The border must be the next fixed. Then damp the 
printed side of the grounding paper, and lay it over ; 
raise one end of the glass, so that the light passing through 
will enable you to see the position of the subject and bor- 
der. Trace round them carefully with a pencil, remove 
the grounding paper, and cut it out a little within the 
line, so that the ground may slightly overlap the subject ; 
give the coating of varnish, and apply it to the glass, as 
before described, pressing it down with the roller, so that 
no blisters are to be seen. 



150 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

Take care to keep the back of the papers damp dur- 

ing this operation, and when it is finished wash them 4 

over with the sponge and water. It is well to interpose | 

a piece of damp paper between the roller and the design, ^ 

as tMs prevents the varnish adhering to it. The work | 

now requires to be left for four-and-twenty hours, so that ^ 
the varnish may become dry and hard ; it is then ready 

for the next operation — rubbing off the paper. This is , 

done by wetting and rubbing in a circular direction, with \ 

a sponge or the hand. j 

After this the work again must be allowed to dry ; af- ' 

ter which rub it with the hand so as to remove all loose | 

particles, and give it a coating of the clearing liquid, i 

which should be laid on with a flat brush. After again 1 

remaining for a day to harden, the washable varnish is \ 

applied, and the work is completed. \ 

If these directions are carefully followed, a perfect ' 

transparency will be produced, which it will require an j 

experienced eye to detect from real stained glass. \ 

Transparencies in thin silk or muslin can be made by ^ 

tightly stretching the material on to a frame. The de- \ 

signs are then subjected to two coatings of the clearing ' 

liquid applied on the wrong side, and when dry, one of . | 

the transfer varnish to the colored side. This is then ■ 

well pressed down by the roller. When quite dry, if the ; 

picture appear at all cloudy, it will be necessary to apply j 

the clearing liquid again, then varnish, and the trans- ^ 

parency is finished. Be careful, however, not to remove i 
the work from the frame until perfectly dry. This work 
is especially adapted for hall windows, by the side of the 
front door, or in the door. 



HOUSE AND HOME ARTS. 151 

We have seen beautiful specimens of this work done 
by a twelve-year-old miss. 



24. — PAINTING ON GLASS. 

Some of the works which profess to teach the art of 
painting on glass, contain directions for staining large 
windows in churches and halls ; others merely give the 
process of producing the more common paintings, such 
as are carried about the streets for sale. These seem to 
have been much in vogue about a century since, as all 
the " Young Artists' Assistants " of that day contain the 
mode of painting them. They direct us to fix a mezzo- 
tinto print upon the back of a sheet of glass, and to re- 
move the paper by wetting and rubbing, leaving the 
impression of the print, which is afterwards to be painted 
in broadwashes, the ink of the print giving the shadows. 
The picture being then turned over, the glazed side be- 
comes the front, and the colors first laid on, are, of course, 
nearest the eye. This mode of painting resembles the 
style of Grecian painting, that being painted from the 
back, and the shading is the ink of the engraving. 

The methods by which glass is stained are scientific ; 
they require some knowledge of chemistry, and such 
apparatus as must preclude the practice of this branch 
of art as an amusement. It may be interesting, how- 
ever, to know something of the process. The glass be- 
ing at first colorless, a drawing is made upon it, and 
the painting is laid on with mineral substances, the vehi- 
cle being a volatile oil, which soon evaporates. The 



152 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

sheets of glass are thea exposed to a powerful heat, un- 
til they are so far melted that they receive the colors into 
their own substances. Enamel painting is done on the 
same principle. This is a time of great anxiety to the 
artist, as with all possible care valuable paintings, both 
in glass and enamel, are frequently spoiled in the prov- 
ing, or vitrification. The art seems to have been lost 
during several centuries ; but it has of late been success- 
fully revived ; and large windows have been executed for 
churches and Gothic halls, which almost vie with the fine 
old specimens in the cathedrals in point of color, while 
they far excel them in other respects. 

The branch of the art which may be treated as an 
accomplishment, is the decoration of glass, flower-stands, 
lamp-shades, and similar articles, with light and elegant 
designs. Flowers, birds, butterflies, and pleasing land- 
scapes afford an extensive range of subjects, which are 
suitable to this style of ornamental painting. The glasses 
may be procured ready ground. The outline may be 
sketched in with a black lead pencil ; the lead can be 
washed off with a sponge when the colors are dry. The 
whole of the colors employed must be transparent, and 
ground in oil ; opaque, or body colors, will not answer 
the purpose. 

They may be purchased in small bladders, only re- 
quiring to be tempered with fine copal or mastic varnish, 
and a very little nut oil, to be ready for use. Blue is 
produced by Prussian blue ; red, by scarlet or crimson 
lake ; yellow, by yellow lake or gamboge ; green, by ver- 
digris, or mineral green, or a mixture of Prussian blue 
and gamboge ; purple, by a mixture of lake and Prussian 



HOUSE AND HOME ARTS. 153 

blue ; reddish brown, by burnt sienna ; and all the other 
tints may be obtained by combinations ; for white, or such 
parts as are required to be transparent, without color, 
the varnish only should be employed. A very chaste 
and pleasing effect may be produced by painting the 
whole design in varnish, without color. 

It is an advantage to this style of painting that but 
few colors are required ; as from the nature of the sub- 
jects, and their purpose as ornaments, brilliancy is more 
desirable than a nice gradation of tints. The work must, 
of course, be carefully dried, but may afterwards be 
cleaned with a sponge and cold water. 



25. — PAINTING ON VELVET. 

Painting on velvet as w:ell as on glass is an old art 
revived. No art that is really beautiful in itself will 
pass away entirely. As these paintings are very pleas- 
ing to the eye, and easy of execution, it is well to know 
how to paint them. The following directions are taken 
from a reliable English work. 

The colors for this style of painting are sold at the 
drawing material warehouses in a liquid state, and pre- 
pared for use. In addition to these, a brilliant rose-color 
is obtained from the pink saucers, by dropping a little 
weak gum water upon the color, and rubbing it with a 
brush. A deep yellow may also be produced by pouring 
a few drops of boiling water upon a small quantity of hay 
saffron. 

It is necessary to mix gum water with all the colors 



154 ' AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

made, to prevent their spreading into each other ; gnm 
dragon is the best for this purpose. The brushes used 
are called scrubs ; they consist of a small stick, with a 
camel's-hair brush cut off quite short at one end, and at 
the other, a brush of bristles of a much harder descrip- 
tion. A small box of black lead is necessary, and a 
piece of list rolled tightly round, to the diameter of about 
two inches, to be used as a sort of brush with the black 
lead, for making outlines in the manner we shall present- 
ly direct. A piece of linen rag, to wipe the brushes on, 
should also be provided. 

The most brilliant flowers, fruits, shells, birds, &c., 
are well adapted to this style of painting. The outline 
of the subject may be sketched in pencil on the velvet, 
v^hich is of such a very delicate nature, that the greatest 
nicety is necessary to keep it in a state of neatness. Care 
should also be taken that the sketch is correctly made, 
as an error cannot be effaced by rubbing out, as on paper. 
It is a safer method, however, to make the sketch on 
drawing-paper, and to prick the outline very closely with 
a fine needle ; then, the velvet being previously nailed 
on a flat piece of wood of a proper size, the pricked pat- 
tern may be laid over it, the roll of list dipped into the 
black lead powder, and rubbed regularly over the pat- 
tern from side to side ; be careful to touch every part, 
and on removing the pattern, a perfect outline in black 
dots will appear on the velvet. 

Where a set of articles of the same pattern is under- 
taken, this is a very good plan, as it insures accuracy, 
and saves the trouble of making separate sketches. 

Even those who have no. knowledge of drawing on 



HOUSE AND HOME ARTS. 



155 



paper, may produce a design on velvet with ease and 
correctness, by tracing off against a window, or by means 
of tracing paper, any drawing or print which they wish 
to copy, and pricking the tracing on the velvet in the 
manner just described. In order to keep the margin of 
the velvet from being soiled in the progress of painting, 
a piece of thick paper should be laid over the whole, 
and an aperture cut in the middle, sufficiently large to 
expose the part to be worked on. Each brush should 
be kept for that color alone, to which it has once been 
appropriated, 

A small quantity of the color about to be used should 
be poured into a little cup, and a drop of gum-water 
added, and stirred with the stick of a pencil prior to its 
being taken on the brush. The mode of its application 
is so simple, that a short description of the execution of 
a single flower will suffice to give an idea of the process 
of painting almost any other subject on velvet. A very 
small portion of color is to be taken upon the brush, and 
the darkest part of the leaf touched with it ; the brush 
is then to be dipped in water, and the color gradual- 
ly softened to the edge ; each leaf ought to be colored 
separately, and the darkest parts in the centre of the 
flowers may be finished with a small brush without soft- 
ening. India ink is used to make the dark shadows of 
crimson flowers. The veins, and all the petals of flow- 
ers, and all the fine lines, should be done with a pen. 
Each leaf, as it is shadowed, should be brushed with the 
hard end of a brush that way of the velvet in which the 
pile runs most easily, and then in the contrary direction, 
so as to set it up again to become dry. A deeper shade 
23 



156 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

should never be added to a leaf or flower until the color 
previously laid on is perfectly set, or the two colors will 
spread, and run into each other ; this will be prevented 
by the gum, if sufficient time can be allowed for each 
shade to dry before a subsequent one is applied. 

When the piece is finished, and quite dry, it should be 
brushed over with a small, round brush, about two inches 
in diameter, with hard bristles of an equal length, to 
raise up such parts of the pile as may have been flat- 
tened in the process of painting. 

Toilet sets, sofa cushions, fancy tables, pincushions, and 
a variety of articles may be ornamented in this way. 



26. — CASTING IN PLASTER, SULPHUR, &c. 

Taking the impression of coins, metals, &c., is, inde- 
pendently of its utility, a most interesting amusement. 
This art is of considerable importance to collectors of 
antique coins, &c. It is often difficult and always ex- 
pensive to purchase superior specimens, of which, how- 
ever, exact models may be obtained by casting, without 
the slightest injury to the originals. The mould is made 
in the following manner : — 

Take a strip of paper, a quarter or third of an inch 
wide ; roll it twice tight around the rim of the coin or 
gem, of which a cast is intended to be taken, and fasten 
the end with very stiff gum-water, which will hold it in- 
stantly. Rub a very little oil, with a camel's-hair pencil, 
over the coin, in order to prevent the plaster from stick- 
ing ; then mix some fine plaster of Paris, with as much 



HOUSE AND HOME ARTS. 157 

water as will make it almost as thick as treacle ; apply 
it quickly to the coin, on which it will be held by the 
paper rim. It sets almost instantly, and may be taken 
off in a few hours ; but the longer it remains undisturbed 
the better. The mould which is thus obtained is the re- 
verse of the coin ; that is, the impression is concave, like a 
seal. When the moulds are so dry that they will not wrin- 
kle a piece of paper laid flat upon the surface, let them 
be well saturated with the best boiled linseed oil, placing 
the moulds with their surface upward, that the whole 
of the oil may be absorbed. They must be covered from 
dust, and nothing should touch their surface, lest they 
suffer injury. Moulds, well prepared in this manner, 
and dried about two days after being oiled, will stand a 
long time for the casting of either plaster or sulphur. 
When used, either Florence oil or a little hog's lard (the 
latter to be preferred) should be applied very tenderly 
over the mould with a little of the finest cotton wool, and 
the cotton wool, without lard, afterwards passed lightly 
over the surface, to leave as little as possible of the unc- 
tuous matter upon the mould, that the casts may be the 
finer. Put paper around them, as was before done to the 
coin ; pour on plaster in the same manner, and a fac- 
simile of the original will be produced. 

Good casts may be made of sulphur, melted in an 
iron ladel, either pure, or colored with a little red lead or 
vermilion, powdered and stirred up with it. The moulds 
and casts are made in the same manner as with plaster 
of Paris, only that the sulphur must be poured on the 
mould when hot, and water, instead of oil, must he used, 
to prevent adhesion. Sulphur makes the best moulds for 



158 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

et 

plaster casts, and vice versa — as similar substances caa j 

seldona be prevented, by either water or oil, from adher- i 

ing, in some degree, to each other. Plaster cannot be j 

used twice ; that is, old or spoiled casts cannot be pow- \ 

dered and again employed ; for the moment the material j 

is moistened, being a species of lime, it is no longer \ 
plaster \vithout beino^ reburnt. 

Another way of making casts of almost any color, 
is with a strong^ solution of isino^lass ; it must be used 

when quite hot; and it is so thin that a box, exactly i 

fitting the rim of the coin, is required, otherwise it will ^ 

escape. It may be colored with saffron, wood, &c. ! 

Very beautiful impressions may be taken by pouring j 

melted wax upon the metal, which comes off easily when ; 

the wax and metal are perfectly cold ; but any one at- i 

tempting this had better try it first upon a penny, or i 
other coin of little value. 

Impressions may also be taken in wax, which, for 
this purpose, should be rendered pliable by kneading it 

with the hand before the fire, a little oil having been pre- ■ 

viously mixed with it. When softened to about the con- ^ 
sistency of putty, lay it and press it close down on the 

coin, the form of which will then be perfectly obtained. j 

. The following is another mode of taking impres- ' 

sions : Procure tin or lead foil as thin as possible, place ; 

it on the coin, and with a pin's head, or any small, j 

smooth instrument, work it into every part ; then take ! 

it off, revert it into a shallow box, and pour plaster into ' 
its concave side ; a durable plaster cast is thus obtained, 
covered with tin foil, which will resemble silver. 



HOUSE AND HOME ARTS. 159 



27. — ENGRAVED BOXES. 

The box should be white or light straw-color, in order 
to show the faint impression to advantage. It should be 
varnished five or six times in succession, and suffered to 
dry thoroughly each time. While the last coat of var- 
nish is yet so fresh that your finger will adhere to it, the 
engraving must be put on, the picture side next to the 
varaish. The engraving must be prepared in the fol- 
lowing manner : — 

All the white paper must be cut off close to the edges 
of the engraving, which must be laid on a clean table, 
with the picture downward, and moistened all over with 
a clean sponge. It must then be placed between two 
leaves of blotting paper, to dry it a little. Before put- 
ting it on the box, take great care to have it even, and 
determine exactly where you wish it to be. Lay one 
edge of the print, picture downward, upon the varnish, 
and gradually drop it to its place, passing the hand suc- 
cessively over the back of the print in such a manner as 
to drive out all the air, and prevent the formation of 
blisters. Then carefully touch it all over with a linen 
cloth, so as to be sure every part adheres to the varnish. 
Leave it until it is thoroughly dry. Then moisten the 
back of the engraving with a clean sponge, and rub it 
lightly backward and forward with the fingers, so as to 
remove the moistened paper in small rolls. When, the 
picture begins to appear, take great care lest you rub 
through, and take off some of the impression. As soon 
as you perceive there is danger of this, leave it to dry. 



160 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

In drying, the engraving will disappear, because it is still 
covered by a slight film of paper. You might think it 
mere white paper ; but give it a coat of varnish, and it 
will become quite transparent. Should you by accident 
have removed any part of the engraving, touch it with In- 
dia ink and gum-water, in order that no white spots may 
appear ; but when you put on your second coat of var- 
nish, you must take care to pass very lightly over the 
spots you have retouched. The box should be varnished 
as many as three times after the engraving has been 
placed on it, and suffered to dry thoroughly each time. 
The w^hite alcoholic varnish is the best. It should be 
put on in the sunshine, or near a warm stove. After the 
last coat is well dried, sift a little pulverized rotten stone 
through coarse muslin, and rub it on with linseed oil and 
a soft rag ; after being well rubbed, cleanse the box 
thoroughly with an old silk handkerchief or soft linen 
rag. Some persons say that a very thin sizing of nice 
glue should be put on the box before it is varnished at 
all ; others say it is not necessary. This work requires 
great patience and care ; but the effect is very beautiful, 
and pays for the trouble. 



SOLITAIRE GAMES OF CARDS. 161 



>oIitaire Barnes of (Karh. 



There are very few games one person alone can play. 
Mrs. Cheney has compiled a collection of these games, 
under the name of '' Patience," which are very desira- 
ble. These games are an acquisition to any home. 
They amuse an invalid, and often act as a sedative to 
men wearied of business cares, who desire some simple 
amusement before sleeping. They do not produce the 
feverish excitement of games of chance and skill played 
against an opponent. Yet they can become a social 
pleasure, by others looking on and sharing in the interest 
of the game, and the pleasure of success. Boys and 
girls would do well to learn them, as they will not divert 
the mind from study, yet may help to pass pleasantly an 
idle hour, besides exercising the patience. The pub- 
lishers have allowed us to give the directions of some of 
the games ; we also will add "The Army Solitaire," 
and when you play it, think of the pleasure it has given 
to many a weary soldier, in diverting his mind from the 
hardships of war. Our famous generals often played it 



162 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

the night before a battle, and if successful, looked upon 
it as a good omen. We will add a few simple social 
games. 



1. — THE LEGITIMIST. 

TWO PACKS. 



This name is of French origin, but it seems to have - 
no special adaptation to the game. It may have been ap- 
plied to it from some old royalist, who solaced his years i 
of exile with the company of mimic kings and queens, j 
It requires close attention, but is not otherwise difficult, j 

Take a king and place it at the left. Then, having J 

shuffled your cards well together, begin to lay them off. | 

You place in succession, in a horizontal row, next the t 

king, the queen, the knave, ten, nine, eight, seven, and I 

six, as they appear from the pack. On these you form | 

the families of thirteen cards each, piling downwards, i 

not following suit, and ending each family with the num- '\ 

ber next to the bottom card, so that you will finish, if | 

successful, with a row of piles, whose top cards number • 

from the ace to the seven, inclusive. Put the cards that I 

you cannot immediately use in stock. You can take up j 

this stock, re-shuffle it, and re-lay it twice. j 

You must be very careful to observe Avhen your fami- ^ 

lies are complete, for as each one ends with a different j 
number, you will be likely to put on too many cards if 
you are inattentive. 



SOLITAIRE GAMES OF CARDS. 



163 



2.— THE SULTAN. 

TWO PACKS. 

This is, perhaps, the most curious and interesting of 
all the games of Solitaire, and, if successful, it forms a 



♦ 4 



A ^ A 
A 

h A 

A A 











V V 



V ^ 



^ 

^ 
# 











pretty picture of the sultan or king of hearts, surrounded 
by his eight queens. As it is rather difficult to under- 



164 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

stand the arrangement, we have prepared a little diagram 
to illustrate it. 

Take out the ace of hearts and all the kings. Place | 
one king of hearts in the centre. Just above him place 
the ace of hearts, and below him the other king of 
hearts. On each side of the ace place the kings of ! 
clubs, who represent waro On each side of the first ^ 
king of hearts are the kings of diamonds, representing \ 
the treasury ; and on the lower line, each side of the 
second king of hearts, are the kings of spades, repre- 
senting the industrial forces. t 

Then shuffle the remaining cards, and lay off from the •; 
pack. Put the first four cards on one side of the square i 
formed by the kings, placing the ends of the cards to- 
wards the square. Put the next four cards on the other 
side in a similar manner ; these eight cards form the ] 
divan. | 

Leaving the sultan untouched, form the other families 5 
by placing the aces on the kings, and so piling in regular ] 
succession, according to suits, ending with the queens. ". 
Place all cards which you cannot immediately use, in a • 
pile on the table, which is called the stock. You can use ■ 
the cards you are laying off from the packs, or the top 
card of the stock, or any card in the divan, in forming ^ 
your families. When a card is taken from the divan, ■ 
you may fill its place, either by the top card from the ] 
stock, or by the next card from the pack, as you think 
most likely to be favorable to your purpose. 

When you have exhausted the pack, you can take up 
the stock and use it as a pack, always keeping your divan 
full. This you can do twice. Some skill is required in ^ 



SOLITAIRE GAMES OF CARDS. 165 

placing the cards in the divan, and in selecting them for 
use, and constant care is needed that no opportunity in 
placing a card in the families escape you. You will, after 
a little experience, generally be rewarded with success. 



3.— FRENCH SOLITAIRE. 

ONE PACK. 

This game is very simple, and well adapted to invalids 
who cannot make much effort. 

Shuffle the cards well. Lay the four aces as they 
come in a row. Place the other cards as they appear 
from the pack, on the aces in order, without following 
suit ; as, ace, deuce, three, four, &c. ; this is called put- 
ting the cards in families. 

Place the cards which do not fit on these, in due order 
in four piles below, and whenever the top card will go on 
the upper line, in regular sequence, you can use it, which 
will thus free the card beneath it. 

The skill consists in deciding on which of these four 
piles to place the cards from the pack, and which card to 
use, if you have two top cards of the same number. 
Of course you must not, if you can help it, place a higher 
card on a lower ; but if you have already four piles, this 
will often be unavoidable. You must then endeavor to 
%et off the higher cards, to free those beneath. Accord- 
ing to the old, strict rule, of not looking to see what 
cards are beneath the top card, it becomes an excellent 
exercise of memory to recall in which pile are the cards 



166 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

you want at the moment. It is not well to place many 
cards of the same number in one pile. If you can com- 
plete the families in the upper row to the kings, you have 
succeeded in this game ; if not, you have failed. 

You may make this game still easier by taking out the 
aces, and placing them in the upper row, before begin- 
ning the game ; or you may make it more difficult by 
following suit in the families, in which case you are en- 
titled to take up the lower piles, re-shuffle them, and re- 
lay them twice. 



4. — THE ARMY SOLITAIRE. i 

ONE PACK. . I 

The army game is a decided favorite with all who i 

like solitaire games ; we have never seen any printed \ 

directions, yet there may be in some book we have not j 

had access to. We prefer it to any other game of soli- \ 
taire, and we hope these directions will be sufficiently 

plain to interest our readers to try it. j 

Shuffle the cards thoroughly. Then deal off the first ^ 
card, whatever it may be, and place it on the upper cor- \ 
ner of the left hand side of an imaginary square. This ; 
is called the foundation card, on which to form a family. ' 
For instance, if it were the six of diamonds, the next ^ 
card to place upon it would be the seven of diamonds, as 
the family must be formed in regular succession, accord- 
ing to suit. Whenever you come across, in playing the I 
cards, the six of spades, hearts, or clubs, these are the ' 
foundation cards (as the first card dealt gives the requi- \ 



SOLITAIRE GAMES OF CARDS. 167 

site value of the other three foundation cards, or as some 
call them, the four towers of the fortress), and can .be 
placed in the other three corners, to form a square. On 
these build your towers, as we directed in diamonds. If 
you succeed in forming the four towers or families in 
suit, and in succession, you have conquered. 

When you deal a card that cannot be placed on the 
corner families in succession, place it on the sides of the 
square, between the foundation cards, as three of clubs, 
and nine of spades, eight of diamonds, king of hearts, 
and one can be placed in the centre of the square, as the 
ace of diamonds ; these five cards are called the reserve 
forces, and on these you can place any card in down- 
ward succession (suits need not be followed), which can- 
not be used on the towers. For instance, if you deal off 
the deuce of hearts, or any other deuce, place it on to 
the three of clubs ; or any eight, place it on to the nine 
of spades ; or king, place it on to the ace, so on ; but 
with every card turned, first look at your foundation 
cards, or towers ; never lose an opportunity to build up 
these. All cards that cannot be played on to the four 
towers or the five reserve cards, may be placed on one 
side as stock. 

Whenever any one of the five reserve corps cards are 
vacant from being used to build up the towers, or a va^ 
cancy made by being able to place reserve cards on the 
other reserve corps, replace from the stock, and by tak- 
ing a card from the stock, a desirable card to use on the 
towers may be freed. 

The great skill of this game consists in the judicious 
arrangement of the reserve corps ; if you Lave two top 



168 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

cards on different piles, of the same value, you should 
cavefullj consider on which pile it is best to place the 
card dealt of proper value, for future use. 

If you can complete your towers in the first play, 
without shuffling your stock, you have gained a great 
victory ; the stock can only be shuffled and played over 
once. If the towers cannot then be built, the game can 
be commenced anew. Sometimes the cards deal out so 
perversely that even skilful play and patience cannot 
build the towers. 



THE TOILET. 160 



%\t %ukl 



There are maDy boys and girls who pride themselves 
on their utter disregard of their personal appearance, 
most fully comprehending the old phrase " that beauty 
unadorned is adorned the most," or perhaps think it a 
mark of genius to appear so occupied with study as to 
neglect their person. Such boys and girls are repulsive 
to both God and man. One of the first laws Nature 
teaches us, is perfect cleanliness. Look at the birds and 
squirrels ; indeed, all wild animals are taught by instinct 
to take a daily bath, if possible. Tame animals are less 
cleanly than wild ones in their habits, as far as our ob- 
servation goes. They look to man to cleanse them. But 
God teaches the untamed beast and bird laws of cleanli- 
ness. Look at the woods ! God sends the rain to wash 
them, and the winds to sweep them, and the sun to 
brighten them. The Creator of all gives to every boy 
and girl the mind to know how to take good care of their 
own persons, and if they neglect the laws of health, just 
so sure will come bodily suffering. Besides, it is a Chris- 
tian duty, as well as a social duty, of every boy and girl, 
to make the most of all their personal attractions, and to 
preserve every agreeable quality they may have been en- 
dowed with, to the latest period of their lives. It is not 



170 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

vanity. It is a duty we all owe to ourselves, and we 
owe it to others. Habits rightly formed in youth will 
often prolong life, and add tenfold to any personal attrac- 
tion. \ 

We trust all boys and girls who read this book, will j 
not pass over this chapter on the toilet. We will try and | 
give them some useful hints and recipes. : 

In the first place, every boy and girl, no matter how | 
young, should strive to make their sleeping and dressing : 
apartment attractive. Perfect neatness is an essential \ 
quality in every room. Never leave any article of cloth- 
ing on a chair, table, or floor, which can be either neatly \ 
folded and placed in a drawer, trunk, or closet shelf, or i 
hung on some nail placed for that purpose. Never leave ; 
a draw partly open. We once knew a young girl who ' 
was always leaving her drawers open, and articles of : 
dress hanging from them. One Christmas, before a room ; 
full of friends, she received from the Christmas tree a i 
little bureau, with every drawer partly open, and things ' 
hanging out of each drawer. Of course it was soon i 
known to all lohy she received such a gift. That lesson j 
she never forgot. We must confess it also cured us of j 
the careless habit of leaving drawers partly open. We i 
hope our young friends will take this lesson to heart, and ; 
profit by it. 

When you rise in the morning, always (even if you j 
can afford plenty of servants), throw the clothes of your 
bed carefully over the foot-board, or some chair, to give \ 
your bed a sufficient chance to be well aired — a most 
necessary requisite for health. Before leaving your room, \ 
even in midwinter, open your window. Never allow \ 



THE TOILET. 171 

your bed to be made till thoroughly aired. Though you 
are not blessed with even a competency, you can make 
a plain room attractive. A few pictures on the walls, 
and by covering a plain pine toilet table with pretty, 
cheap chintz, and exercising a little ingenuity in making 
pretty articles of furniture out of old boxes. But always 
be a foe to all dust ; keep a dusting cloth at hand. After 
washing, if you cannot have a chambermaid, arrange 
your washing apparatus neatly, and carefully spread 
your towels to dry, if clean. There are so few, com- 
paratively, in America, who can afford the constant at- 
tendance of servants, we desire all boys and girls to learn 
how to care for themselves. 



1. — THE BATH. 

In olden times, in this country, baths were but little 
used. It was considered a luxury but few could possess. 
Now there is scarcely a decent house built without a bath- 
room. In England and France, '* there was a time when 
many ladies had a most hydrophobiacal dread of water ; 
they thought it injured the delicacy of the complexion. 
Their ablutions often consisted in wiping the cheeks with 
a cambric handkerchief, dipped in elder flower or rose 
water." 

A daily bath is now the rule rather than the exception, 
and its effect is admirable. A cold bath, from sixty to 
seventy degrees, is, to most persons, the most health* 
giving and invigorating process one can undergo ; but 
beyond its invigoration, it is of no essential service in 



172 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

cleansing the skin. No one can preserve a purely clean 
skin by the use of cold baths only, though the purifying 
effect is increased by the use of rough towels, which help 
to remove the impurities from the surface of the skin. 
The skin is constantly throwing off fine dust like scales, 
and these, blending with other foreign matter, stop up the 
pores, and prevent the skin from performing its natural 
functions. 

Therefore soap should be used, because the alkali in it 
assimilates with the oily exudations of the skin, and re- 
moves impurities. 

It has been said that soap is calculated to irritate the 
skin, and injure the complexion. It is not true, accord- 
ing to our knowledge. Some of the most beautiful com- 
plexions we ever saw were washed with soap daily. 
Great care should be taken that the soap is of a good 
quality. 

If any unpleasant sensations are experienced after its 
use, it is easily removed by rinsing the skin with water 
slightly acidulated with lemon-juice. 

Once a week a warm bath, at about one hundred 
degrees, should be used, with plenty of soap, to be sure 
and cleanse the skin from all impurities. Sea-water 
baths are invigorating, but not cleansing — a warm bath 
is required after a short course of them. The same re- 
mark applies to sea-salt baths, now much used. The 
friction of coarse towels is very beneficial. Shower 
baths are not generally desirable, as but few constitutions 
can bear them. 

Milk baths and perfumed baths are absurdities, wKich 
a very few silly v/omen indulge in ; but nothing equals 
Ijure salt water. 



THE TOILET. 173 

Of late years the practice of taking Turkish baths has 
been introduced. Doubtless these baths are the best in 
existence for a thorough cleansing of the pores of the 
skin. But no one should venture to take them, except 
after having first had medical advice, or those who pos- 
sess strong constitutions ; for there are states of health 
to which they would be injurious in the highest degree. 
We consider them a great luxury. 

We also recommend, most heartily, the sponge bath 
for daily use. Use a large circular sponge. 

It is always best, before taking any bath, to wet the 
^op of the head ; boys and men can wet the sponge, and, 
holding their heads over the bath-tub, thoroughly souse 
their heads and necks. It prevents the blood rushing to 
the head suddenly. A hair glove is excellent to rub the 
body. Boys and men should exercise with the dumb- 
bells after their morning bath ; it increases their muscu- 
lar strength. 

in all our directions with regard to the bath, it must 
be borne in mind that we only refer to those who are in 
a moderately sound state of health ; otherwise their medi- 
cal attendant should be consulted. Sea-bathing is ad- 
mirable to all those who can bear it ; but persons of a 
bilious temperament, or with heart disease, and even 
some with apparent health, may suffer serious ill con- 
sequences from a single bath. Some constitutions can- 
not bear the plunge into any cold water. All who have 
a quick reaction from a sea-bath and cold water bath- 
ing are benefited. The delicious glow it gives is most 
charming. We have known many young, vigorous per- 
sons sufiTer from sea-bathing ; but it was their own fault, 



174 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

from remaining in the water too long ; ten minutes is 
sufficient. 



2. — COMPLEXION. 

We will only give a few words of advice, as an assist- 
ance in the preservation of the complexion. 

Kise early, and go to bed early. Take a plenty of 
exercise. Keep the pores of the skin open by perfect 
cleanliness. Be moderate in eating and drinking. Do 
not often frequent crowded assemblies, and shun cosmet- 
ics^ and washes for the skin. We will give a few harm- 
less recipes. But most of the powders and washes used 
dry up the skin, and in the end make it rough. 

Be careful always in washing to wipe your skin 
dry, particularly your hands ; rub them briskly for some 
time. If hands are left moist after washing, they will 
chap, crack, and become red. Honey is excellent to rub 
over chapped hands, or anoint them with cold cream or 
glycerine before retiring to rest. 

If you desire to make your hands delicate, wash them 
in hot milk and water for a day or two ; on retiring to 
rest rub them with palm oil, and put on gloves ; wash them 
well in the morning. Lime water, lemon-juice, or sour 
milk will remove the sunburn from hands. Above all, 
keep the nails scrupulously clean. 

It is repulsive to see a lady or gentleman, however 
well-dressed they may be, with nails in any degree shady. 
We were once, in travelling, impressed with the beauty 
of a young lady sitting near us. We spoke of her to a 
young gentleman sitting by us. He exclaimed, '^ Look 



THE TOILET. 175 

at her handl did you ever behold such a little black 
row ? " She had just drawn off her glove, and diamonds 
glistened on her taper fingers ; yet "that little black row" 
east a shade over her beauty. 

The nails should be pared only once a week, after 
washing, as the nail is then soft. Round them nicely 
at the corners, and press the cuticle at the bottom of the 
nail carefully down with the towel after washing. Never 
bite your nails. It gives a stumpy appearance to the 
nail. Also, never scrape the nail ; it makes them 
wrinkle. 

Warts young people are sometimes troubled with ; the 
best cure is to purchase a stick of lunar caustic, — which 
is sold in a case or holder, — dip the end in w^ater, and 
touch the wart twice a day ; cut away the withered part 
before applying the caustic a second time, 

There are two kinds of freckles. " Cold freckles " are 
constitutional, and we do not know of any remedy. 
" Summer freckles " are caused by the winds and the 
sunshine. . The cause assigned for this is, that the iron in 
the blood, forming a junction with the oxygen, leaves a 
rusty mark where the junction takes place. The obvious 
cure is to dissolve the combination. We have had given 
to us several recipes which are said to be excellent. We 
will give the best of them. 



3. — RECIPE TO CURE FRECKLES. 

Into half a pint of milk squeeze the juice of a lemon, 
with a spoonful of brandy, and boil, skimming well ; add 
a dram of rock alum." 



176 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 



4. — A CUKE FOR FRECKLES. 

Scrape horse-radish into a cup of cold sour milk ; 
let it stand twelve hours, strain, and apply two or three 
times a day. 



5.— A CURE FOR FRECKLES. 

Mix lemon juice, one ounce ; powdered borax one 
quarter dram ; sugar, half a dram ; keep a few days in a 
glass bottle, then apply occasionally. 



6. — A CURE FOR PIMPLES. 

Many of our young people are much troubled with an 
eruption upon the face. It often proves a great annoy- 
ance to them ; but there is a simple remedy, which, if it 
does not eifect a complete cure, will obviate the trouble 
in a great degree, without the least injury to the health 
or skin. 

To one grain of corrosive sublimate add one ounce of 
rose water ; filter, and apply twice a day. 



7. — HAIR. 

It is impossible for a lady to possess anything that so 
adds to her charms as a good head of hair. " It is a 
crown of beauty." This accounts for the enormous 



THE TOILET. 177 

amount of advertisements of infallible hair tonics and 
restorers. Beware of such advertisements. We will 
give you some few simple and most essential rules to 
preserve the hair. Also some recipes (easily and cheaply 
made) of the most excellent pomatums. The skin of the 
head is delicate, therefore especial care should be taken 
in brushing the hair, and in keeping the scalp as clean as 
possible. The brush should be of moderate hardness. 
The hair should be separated, in order that the head itself 
may be well brushed, as by so doing the scurf or loose 
skin will be removed ; if suffered to remain it becomes 
saturated with perspiration, and weakens the roots of 
the hair, causing it to fall off. To retain a beautiful 
head of hair, it ought to be brushed twenty minutes in the 
morning, and ten minutes when dressed in the middle of 
the day, and a like period at night. In brushing or 
combing it, begin at the extreme points ; and in combing, 
hold the portion of hair just above that through which 
the comb is passing firmly, so that if it is entangled, it 
may drag from that point, and not from the roots. We 
have known the finest heads of hair ruined by careless 
combing and breaking the hair. 

It depends upon the nature of the hair whether poma- 
tum is required. Those vrhose hair is naturally oily and 
glossy need nothing to make it so ; but dry hair requires 
it. Pure salad oil, scented, is excellent, and bear's grease. 
An excellent pomade is made of beef's marrow, after it 
is clarified ; take six tablespoons of the marrow, heated, 
and six tablespoons of scented castor oil, to one table- 
spoonful of brandy or rum. Stir these ingredients half 
an hour, until it is beaten to a cream ; then place it in 
your jars. 



178 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. I 



8. — CAEROT POMADE. 1 

This is another excellent recipe. Two thirds beef's I 

marrow, one third leaf lard unsalted, one carrot grated | 
fine, simmered together for two or three hours. 

These pomades should be applied with the hand or a \ 

soft brush, and rubbed into the hair thoroughly. Be ; 

careful and not oil the hair often, for an over oiled head | 

is offensive. It is well to rub the hair at night with a j 

piece of flannel, so that the oil used in the day may be ' 
removed. Every month the hair should be shampooed. 
A few drops of ammonia in rain water will cleanse it 

well : put the whole hair into the solution, and wash it ; | 

then cleanse it with clear milk-warm water, and clip all ! 

the ends of the hair without fail. Every split end will, j 

if not cut off, deaden the hair. Another good cleansing , 

recipe is, one ounce of powdered borax, a small bit of • 

camphor, dissolved in a quart of boiling water. With i 

any recipe for cleansing, the hair must be rinsed thor- I 

oughly with clear spring water. All boys and gentlemen \' 

should wash their heads all over, hair and all, every > 

morniug, and wear ventilated hats. Gentlemen become \ 

bald sooner than ladies from wearing close hats so much. 1 



— I 

9. — BANDOLINE, '] 

A French recipe, is excellent — because it is harm- 
less — to use in dressing hair to keep back any refractory i 
locks. J 

Becipe. Simmer one ounc5 of quince seed in a quart 



THE TOILET. 179 

of water, forty minutes ; strain cool, add a few drops of 
scent, and bottle, corking tightly. 

Another way of making " Bandoline " is with Iceland 
moss. Take a quarter of an ounce, boiled in a quart of 
water, and a little rectified spirits added, so that it may 
keep. 

A weak solution of isinglass is the only curling fluid 
that is harmless. 



10. — COLD CREAM 

Is excellent for a lip salve. The recipe is a pint of 
sweet oil, half an ounce of spermaceti, and two ounces 
of white wax, melted together over -the fire and scented ; 
or take a pint of oil of sweet almonds, one ounce of white 
wax, half an ounce of spermaceti, and half a pint of rose 
water, beat to a paste. 



11. — EECIPE FOR CAMPHOR ICE. 

Half a cake of white wax, a good inch of a pure 
spermaceti candle, a piece of camphor as large as an 
English walnut, a tablespoonful of sweet- oil, mix and 
simmer all together ; if too soft, add more wax, if too 
hard, add more oil. This is excellent to use in cold 
weather for lips and hands. 

This being prepared for a home book, we give a few 

recipes for the use. of the toilet, which we know are 

good. 

24 



180 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

We will give one more most excellent recipe for a | 
cooling and healing salve. I 



12. — CUCUMBER SALVE. 

Half a pound of pure lard unsalted, a heaping quart 
cup of cucumbers sliced as for eating ; let them simmer 
an hour, so as not to boil, then strain into cups. 



13. — TO LOOSEN STOPPERS OF TOILET 
BOTTLES. 

Let a drop of pure oil flow round the stopper, and 
stand the bottle near the fire. After a time tap the 
stopper with the handle of a hair brush ; if this is not 
effectual, use a fresh drop of oil, and repeat, the process. 



14. — TO REMOVE A TIGHT RING. 

When a ring happens to get tightly fixed on a finger, 
take a piece of common twine, soap it thoroughly, and 
then wind it round the finger as tightly as possible. The 
twine should commence at the point of the finger, and be 
continued till the ring is reached ; the end of the twine 
must then be forced through the ring. If the string is 
then unwound, the ring is almost sure to come off the 
finger with it. 



THE TOILET. 181 



15. — HAIR WASH. 

As much borax as a pint of hot water will absorb, 
three table spoonfuls of best olive oil, twenty drops of 
almond essential oil. This recipe we recommend most 
heartily. It must be well shaken before using. 



16.— A CURE FOR POISON. 

Sweet oil is a cure for the poisonous bite of serpents, 
spiders, &c. ; also for being poisoned by ivy and dog- 
wood. Bathe the part bitten or affected, and take a 
teaspoonful internally. If a horse is affected, it will re- 
quire eight times as much to affect him. All persons 
sensitive to poison whenever they visit the woods, on 
their return should wash hands and face in vinegar and 
salt, and take camphor inwardly. 



182 AMERICAN HOME BOOK, 



mt fvcabmg. 



The subject of reading cannot be omitted in a work 
devoted to the interests of the home. Books have such 
a large share in developing and sustaining the home life, 
that their influence can hardly be exaggerated. At the 
same time it is not possible, in a comprehensive work like 
this, to treat of the subject as its importance demands. 
We can only throw out a few general hints, which may 
be suggestive to some. 

In the first place, we would say to all young persons 
into whose hands this book may come, read something 
daily. And by this we mean, not the careless looking 
through a novel for the amusement of a leisure hour, 
but the faithful, thorough mastery of another's thought. 
It is of less consequence that that thought should be new, 
or specially valuable, than that the habit should be formed 
of intelligent reading. A poor book well read will usu- 
ally teach a young person more than a good one read 
carelessly. We are not saying, let it be understood, that a 
book should always be read from beginning to end ; there 
is a habit of quick perception of the general tone and 
value of a book, which, to a student in search of facts 
for special use, is of the greatest assistance ; but this 



HOME READING. 183 

comes later. The power of attention and concentration 
should first be gained. And for this purpose, secondly, 
it is important that you should form an opinion of what 
you have read. Never lay aside a book until you can 
state intelligibly the author's purpose and meaning in it, 
and how far, as it appears to you, that purpose has been 
attained. It is an excellent plan to write a short ab- 
stract of the plot of a story, or the facts of a biography ; 
but whether this is done or not, do not be contented to let 
what you have read pass through the mind like water 
through a sieve. Compel everything to yield you some 
tribute of suggestion, if not of direct instruction. Do 
not be satisfied with anything less than a definite opinion ; 
if you are in the wrong, the correction of a maturer mind 
will help you to judge more truly the next time. 

Do not confine yourself to one kind of reading. If you 
are fond of novels, that is no reason why you should read 
them exclusively. Perhaps acquaintance with a different 
class of books may develop a taste for them ; at any- 
rate you cannot afford to read entirely for amusement. 
It is neither our province nor our wish to condemn novel- 
reading ; the excessive practice of it will, we believe, be 
best checked by acquaintance with books of greater 
value. There are histories as varied in incident as any 
novel. There are books of travel which combine the 
romance of adventure with the instruction of facts. 
There is poetry in all its forms, without some knowledge 
of whose best examples your education cannot be con- 
sidered even passable. The fact is rather that there is 
so much of each class, which a cultivated person is ex- 
pected to be familiar with, that the great difiiculty is in 



184 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

selection. In order tliat you may divide your time profit- 
ably among these different studies, it is well to take the 
advice of some competent person as to what is the best 
hook for your purpose on a given subject. In this manner 
you will save much time and patience, while if you take 
up the first book on the topic in question which comes to 
hand, you may, by an injudicious choice, lose your inter- 
est in the whole matter. On any historical question, for 
instance, it is better to read at first an author w^ho gives 
a concise and general view of the events of the period, 
and afterwards those entering more minutely into details. 
It is well, too, before intrusting yourself to the guidance 
of any historian, to ascertain the estimation in which he 
is held by competent critics, that you may thus under- 
stand how to separate the truth from exaggeration and 
special pleading. 

Have several kinds of reading for every day. Do not 
give yourself up entirely to one class of books at a time, 
or you will either tire of them, or your judgment will be- 
come confused in regard to them. It is w^ell to have 
some book of history, or travels, or metaphysics, another 
on religious subjects, and a third for entertainment sim- 
ply — a good novel, if possible. 

In this way much more knowledge is gained without 
fatigue, than w^ben the mind is kept exclusively to one 
theme. 

Committing to memory a few lines every day, is a habit 
which cannot be too strongly urged. It need not be 
made a tedious matter, by giving up one's whole time 
and attention to it as a study ; it can best be done when 
walking, or sewing, or engaged in household work, and 



HOME READING. 185 

will become, after a little, a pleasure instead of a task. 
Besides the daily acquisition of something worth remem- 
bering, there will be gained also a power quite as valuable, 
of observing the characteristics and style of various au- 
thors, the delicate difierences of words, and the con- 
struction of sentences. It may safely be said that those 
writers w^ho have been most celebrated for beauty and 
perspicuity of style, have owed this, in no small degree, to 
the early habit of committing to memory the works of 
the best authors. 

In conclusion, we would beg our young readers to 
make friends of books. They will cheer many an hour 
that would otherwise be lonely ; they are kind, ever 
ready, yet unobtrusive comforters in perplexity or sor- 
row ; they represent that which is best and truest in all 
ages, and are the highest expression of itself, of v/hich 
humanity is capable. 



186 AMERICAN HOME BOOK, 



%\t m loom. 



We cannot leave this book without giving a few 
simple rules for nursing the sick. Most of our young 
people, and many old, are ignorant of the commonest 
principles. 

Never wear a rustling dress or creaking shoes in wait- 
ing on the sick. Be careful not to shake the bed, or fidget 
near it, so as to touch, disturb, and needlessly fatigue the 
invalid. Few noises are more irritating in sickness than 
noise from the grate. The startling effect of putting on 
coals may destroy the effect of an opiate. It is better to 
put them on one by one. In voice and manner be gentle^ 
and in spirit cheerful and hopeful. Do not depress by 
tears, but control looks, words, and actions. Say nothiog 
in the room, or even outside the door, which you would 
not wish the sick to hear. Ask questions but rarely, and 
never occasion a needless effort to gratify your own curi- 
osity. In giving nourishment with a spoon, be careful 
to raise the bowl of the spoon so as not to drop anything, 
or annoy the sick person by untidy feeding. Be sure ta 
have cups, spoons, and glasses clean. Make everything 
SLS attractive as you can from the nicety and freshness 
of the dish. Do not allow jellies or rejected dainties to 



THE SICK ROOM. 187 

remain in the room. The time may come to any boy or 
girl when they may desire to watch by a sick bed of a 
parent or friend, and the above rules may assist them. 

If the sick person should take a dislike to you, be not 
disheartened at it ; but if possible resign your place by 
the bedside. It may be that you were clumsy, and awk- 
ward, or over-anxious. It may be only one of those un- 
accountable fancies which sometimes takes possession of 
the sufferer, and which it is our duty to treat with care 
and consideration. 



l._ COOKING FOR THE SICK. 

Beef tea. Take one pound of beef, without any fat, 
cut it in very small pieces, and put it in a bottle ; cork it 
and put it into a kettle of water, and boil it until the 
juice is exhausted ; this will do for very sick people who 
can only take a teaspoonful of nourishment at one time. 
Take a pound of lean beef, cut it up fine in a quart of 
cold water, let it boil an hour, then salt it, and put in a 
pinch of cayenne pepper, strain it, and it is ready for 
use. This given to a person troubled with sleeplessness 
(from general debility), about a half cup full just before 
retiring, will generally enable the patient to sleep. 



2.— PORT WINE JELLY. 

Take a half pint of port wine, one ounce of isinglass, 
one ounce of gum arabic, one ounce of loaf sugur ; let it 



188 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

simmer for a quarter of an hour, stirring it till the gum 
and isinglass are dissolved, then pour it into a mould. 
Wlien cold it will be quite stiff. 



3.— TOAST WATER. 

Brown thoroughly, but not burn to a cinder, a small 
slice of bread ; put it into a pitcher, and pour over it a 
quart of water which has been boiled and cooled ; after 
two hours pour off the water ; a small piece of orange or 
lemon peel put into the pitcher with the bread improves it. 



4. — TO PREPARE RENNET WHEY. 

Get a rennet, such as is used for cheeses. Then take 
a piece two inches square, or a little larger, rinse it 
first in cold water, then pour on to it two table-spoon- 
fuls of hot water, and let it stand a half hour in a warm 
place. Take three pints of milk, and heat it blood warm. 
Then pour in both the rennet and water, and stir it in 
well. Cover and let it stand in a warm place, to keep 
the milk of an even temperature ; it must not be moved 
until it turns to a curd ; then cut up the curd with a spoofi 
and strain it, and boil up the whey once. It is then ready 
for use. If in an hour it does not turn to a curd, take 
out the rennet, and put in some more freshly prepared. 
It will then surely curd. 



THE SICK ROOM. 189 



5. — FLAX-SEED SIRUP. 

This we know to be an excellent remedy for a cough. 
Boil one ounce of flax-seed in a quart of water for half 
an hour ; strain, and add to the liquid the juice of two 
lemons and half a pound of rock candy. If there is a 
soreness and general weakness from the cough, add half 
an ounce of powdered gum arable. 



6. — MUCILAGE OF SAGO. 

Take an ounce or a table-spoonful of sago, steep in a 
pint of water, in a pan placed on the back of the stove 
for two hours, then boil for fifteen minutes, stirring it all 
the time. This mucilage can be sweetened with sugar 
and flavored with lemon juice, or milk can be added. 



7. — APPLICATIONS FOR THE SICK. — RE- 
FRESHING LOTION. 

Mix one table-spoonful of vinegar, one of eau de 
cologne, and one of water. Dip a linen rag or a hand- 
kerchief into this preparation and lay upon the head. It 
refreshes a patient. 



190 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 



8.— RECEIPT FOR CROUP. 

One tea-spoonful of powdered alum mixed with mo- 
lasses or lard, and sometimes water ; make a child with 
croup swallow it ; it is a quick emetic. 



9. — REMEDY FOR SORE THROAT. 

Take a tea-spoonful of chlorate of potassium and dis- 
solve in a tumbler of hot water, and gargle the throat 
every two hours. 



10. — BURNS. 

Dissolve alum in water, and bottle ready for use ; or 
common lime-water ; either remedy applied at once will 
relieve a burn- and draw out the fire. Pour the solution 
into a bowl, and hold the burnt place, if possible, into it, 
or wet cloths with it. Sweet oil and laudanum can be 
added to the lime-water. 

We simply give a few remarks for ordinary troubles, 
which may be useful ; but we cannot leave this article 
without giving some useful rules for making good hreadj 
which few make, and every young girl should learn how 
to do, as good bread is essential to the health of every 
household. An experienced housekeeper has kindly pre- 
pared for us the following article. 



DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING BREAD, YEAST, ETC. 191 



^irerfions for maMng '§xmX feast, fe 



Holy Writ assures us that bread is the staff of life, 
and experience fully proves the assertion. Yet many of 
us know not how to make this needed support. Every 
girl, no matter what her station in life may be, should 
learn how to prepare it in its highest excellence. 

The word bread is derived from brayed grain, from 
the verb to bray, or pound ; indicative of the method of 
preparing the flour. 

Dough comes from the Anglo-Saxon word deaiuian, to 
wet or moisten. Loaf is from the Anglo-Saxon lif-ian^ 
to raise or lift up, as raised bread. Leaven is derived 
from the French verb lever^ to raise. 

Dwellers in country towns and villages are forced to 
prepare the leaven, or yeast ; so we append a receipt 
which never fails to make good bread. Wash and pare 
six good-sized, white-fleshed potatoes, grate them raw, 
on a lerfldn grater. Pour over them three quarts of 
boiling water ; it will thicken up like starch. Add one 
table-spoonful of salt and half a cup of sugar. When 
the inixture is lukewarm, pour in one cupful of yeast. 
Set the pan beside the stove, and in six hours it will be 
light enough to use. Let it stand over night in a cool 
place ; next morning cork it tightly in a jug. Keep it in 



192 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

the cellar or ice-house ; but be sure that it does not 
freeze — that kills the life of it. Home-made yeast re- 
quires double the quantity of baker's yeast. One tea- 
cupful of this yeast will make three loaves of bread and 
a pan of biscuit. 

Potatoes added to the bread increases its bulk and 
quality. Boil six common-sized potatoes in two quarts 
of water, with one table-spoon of salt. When perfectly 
salt, mash fine on a plate, leaving no little particles^ 
They can be rubbed through a colander and reduced to a 
pulp ; turn it into the bread-pan, and pour over the water 
in which they were boiled. Sift eight quarts of flour, 
and when the potato-water is cooled, so as to be a little 
warm to the touch, stir in half the flour ; then add one 
teacupful of the yeast. When that is thoroughly mixed 
up, put in the rest of the flour, making it thick enough to 
knead stiffly. Do this in the evening, and place the pan 
in a warm room in winter, a cool one in summer. Early 
next morning it will be risen finely. Another pan should 
have been tightly covered over it, and it will rise up into 
the pan. Knead it thoroughly on the moulding board, 
chopping it with a chopping-knife, or pouuding with a 
pestle. Bread must be kneaded for an hour at least, if 
one desires the best quality. Holes in the slices of bread 
show that it was not well made. The superiority of the 
French bread-makers is owing to this cause. In many 
bakeries the dough is prepared by machinery. After the 
process of kneading is finished, rolls can be made, and 
baked for breakfast. They are prepared by rolling the 
dough in the shape of a rolling-pin, then cutting ofi* a 
small portion, and rolling that in the same shape. Dip 



DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING BREAD, YEAST, ETC. 193 

the sides and tops in melted butter, place in a pan, and 
put them in a warm place for twenty minutes ; then bake 
in a hot oven twenty minutes. The melted butter causes 
them to break apart perfectly, and to brown handsomely. 

The remainder of the dough is placed near the stove to 
rise a second time. It must be closely watched — ten 
minutes^ neglect will sour it. 

To be sure a teaspoonful of saleratus will sweeten it ; 
dissolve it in warm water, and mix it in so there will be 
no yellow spots ; but, if used, it takes away the fresh 
sweetness of the bread. Making bread is not like cake 
or pie-making — it demands close attention ; will not be 
neglected without injury. It requires some brains to 
make good bread, and that is one reason why so many 
families rarely know what the best quality of bread is. 
If it sours, turn in the saleratus ; if it is half-kneaded, 
and half-risen, and the oven is ready, why, bake it, and 
thus very poor bread is the result ! Bread cannot be set 
aside for dish- washing or sweeping. It must be of the 
first consequence. 

When it is risen for a second time, and blubbers ap- 
pear, flour your moulding-board, turn out the dough, cut 
it into as many parts as you desire loaves of bread, and 
knead, pound, or cut each loaf loell ; then have your 
bread-pans buttered, and put in the dough, kneading it 
into the corners of the pan. Prick it all over with a 
fork, place near the stove for fifteen or twenty minutes, 
or until it has filled the pans to the brim. Have your 
oven so hot, that if a sprinkling of flour is thrown in, it 
will brown quickly, but not burn ; then set in the pans. 



194 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 

Three quarters of an hour, in a properly heated oven, 
will bake bread. Don't burn your crusts, but watch the 
oven, and in twenty minutes after putting them in, look 
at them and turn the pans round, for usually one side of 
an oven bakes the fastest. When it is baked, take it 
from the pans directly, else the sides will become moist- 
ened and clammy. Spread a clean towel on the table or 
shelves, and stand the bread on it. If the crust is too 
thick and brown, wrap the loaves in a clean towel wet 
with cold water ; this softens it. 

If these directions are closely followed, and a good 
brand of flour is used, no girl can fail to make A No. 1 
bread. 

No lady can teach her servants unless she has learned 
the alphabet of cookery herself, and bread may be called 
the A B C's of the kitchen. 



1. — WAFFLES. 

Take one quart of milk ; melt in the milk a large 
spoonful of butter ; beat up four eggs, and add to this 
mixture a little salt ; add to the slightly warm milk a 
small gill of yeast, flour sufficient to make a batter just 
right for a waffle iron, or a little thinner to bake on a 
griddle iron. The batter for waffles is also nice baked in 
tins as muffins. Some elder person can direct, the first 
time you make this recipe, the proper thickness of the 
batter. 



DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING BREAD, YEAST, ETC. 195 



2.— A CREAM TOMATO SOUP. 

Twelve tomatoes, skinned and cut up, cook thirty 
minutes (or a quart of canned tomatoes, ten minutes will 
cook it). When cooked, stir in quarter of a teasponful 
of soda ; when done foaming put in two large crackers, 
rolled fine ; one quart of milk, salt and pepper to taste ; 
stir in a piece of butter nearly the size of an egg ; let it 
all boil up once, then serve for dinner. 



3. — BREAKFAST CAKE. 

Three table-spooHsful of sugar, two of butter, two 
eggs, one teaspoon of soda dissolved in a cup of milk, 
two teaspoons of cream of tartar mixed into a pint of 
wheat flower, beat well and bake quickly. 



4. — MOLASSES GINGERBREAD. 

Three cups of flour, two of molasses, one of boiling 
water ; dissolve in this, butter the size of an egg^ half 
a teaspoonful of soda, dissolved in a little hot water, one 
large spoonful of ginger, and one of cinnamon. Bake 
in bread tins until done, which can be ascertained by 
pricking it with a broom corn ; if none of the ginger- 
bread adheres to the stick, it is done. This is the way 
to ascertain if any kind of cake is done. 
25 



196 AMERICAN HOME BOOK. 



6. — PLAIN COOKIES. 

One cup of molasses, one half a cup of milk (sour if 
possible), dissolve a teaspoonful of soda in the milk. 
One table-spoonful of butter, flour sufficient to make it 
stiff to roll out and cut in any shape desired. 



6.— MOONSHINE CRACKERS. 

One quart of flour, one table-spoonful of butter, a tea- 
spoonful of salt, rub these into the flour and turn it on 
to the moulding board ; turn into it a small tumbler of 
ice-water ; knead the water in little by little. Then 
pound it with the rolling pin fifteen minutes^ roll as thin 
as possible, and cut out as you do cookies ; round cutters 
are the best for crackers ; mark with a jagging iron, and 
bake ten minutes. 



7.— NEW YEAR'S COOKIES. 

Rub three quarters of a pound of butter into a pound 
of flour. Take a half pint of boiling water and pour 
over a pound and a half of light brown sugar in a bowl ; 
dissolve a small teaspoonful of soda in two large spoons 
of hot water. Add flour only sufficient to roll out very 
thin ; cut it out in oblong shapes with a jagging iron ; 
bake quickly in a hot oven. In New York they mark 
these cakes with mottos, — Christmas and New Year's. 



DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING BREAD, YEAST, ETC. 197 



8. — SPONGE CAKE. 

Two cups of fine-powdered sugar, two cups of flour, 
six eggs, one large lemon, or one and a half of small 
size ; beat the yolks of the eggs and the sugar and 
grated peel of the lemon together ; beat the whites sep- 
arately, and stir into the sugar, &c., with the flour ; this 
makes one good-sized loaf, or two small ones ; be care- 
ful and not have too hot an oven. 



9. — LOAF CAKE. 

Two cups of light wheat dough, one of sugar, half a 
cup of butter, two eggs, half a teaspoonful of soda, one 
grated nutmeg, two teaspoonfuls of ground cloves, two 
of cinnamon ; stoned raisins can be added, half a cup- 
fiil ; mix all together. This makes one loaf. 

Neatness is essential in cooking. Wash your hands 
often. Baking badly spoils the best of cake and bread. 
Learn of an experienced person the proper degree of 
heat. 



198 AMERICAN HOME BOOK, 



Mltnu. 



We will give a few simple rules, which we hope all 
will read and remember. 

1. Talk but little in the presence of your elders, unless 
spoken to. Learn to be a good listener. 



2. Never enter a room, church, or hall first, with an j 
elder person ; let them go first. \ 

3. On entering a house or room, always speak first to l 

the lady of the house^ and always take leave of hev first, ] 

i 

4. Never take the most comfortable seat or position 
in a room, if there are older persons present. i 

5. Let the golden rule Jesus Christ gave us ever he 
your rule of action. \ 



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